MD Leaders React To Death Of 41st President George H.W. Bush

ANNAPOLIS, MD — With the news that the nation's 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush, died Friday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has ordered American and Maryland flags to be flown at half-staff immediately through Dec. 30 to mark Bush’s passing. He served as president from 1989-1992 and died at age 94.

“George H.W. Bush’s lifetime of service and decades of dedication to honor and duty leave an indelible mark on our nation and on our hearts," Hogan said in a statement. "He will always represent the very best America has to offer in public life: toughness with civility, firmness with kindness, and strength of conviction with force of character."

Bush enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday and flew 58 combat missions during World War II. His life of service included two terms in Congress beginning in 1967, Republican National Chairman, ambassador to China, chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China and director of the CIA. He ran for president in 1980, losing the Republican Party's nomination to Ronald Reagan, who chose him as his running mate. Bush served two terms as Reagan's vice president, then won the presidency in 1988. Historians and members of both political parties recalled Bush as a true patriot and statesman who embodied the decency and selfless service of America’s Greatest Generation.

“As a decorated World War II veteran and Navy pilot, a two-term Congressman who served alongside my dad in the U.S. House of Representatives, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and ambassador to the United Nations, he built his lasting reputation as the consummate public servant," Hogan said of President Bush. "As our nation’s 43rd vice president and 41st president, who helped bring an end to the Cold War, President Bush solidified his legacy of principled, pragmatic, and compassionate leadership."

The Hogan family joins all Marylanders in sending condolences to the Bush family as they mourn this loss. "We all take comfort knowing that he is joining his beloved wife, Barbara.”

Bush died shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, about eight months after the death of his wife, Barbara Bush, family spokesman Jim McGrath said. He is also survived by two other sons, Marvin and Neil; and a daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, who died in April 2018, and a daughter, Pauline (Robin), who died of leukemia before her fourth birthday.

Maryland political leaders from both majority parties took to social media to laud Bush for his life of service and strength of character.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said of the elder Bush's legacy, "George H.W. Bush served our country with dignity, integrity, and a commitment to American values — from his courage in WWII to many other positions in government to the White House. He understood the virtues of civility and mutual respect in public life. He will be greatly missed."

The Maryland Congressional delegation's only Republican member, Andy Harris, said on Twitter: "I am saddened to hear of the passing of the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush. He was a man of honor and courage, and he cared deeply for his family and his country. Rest in peace."

Congressman Elijah Cummings of Baltimore recalled Bush as a dedicated servant to the nation throughout his life who fought valiantly during World War II to return home and commit himself to a life of dedicated and outstanding public service to a grateful nation. My prayers are with the Bush family."

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PHOTO: Former President George H.W. Bush at his office on March 29, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)