'미국인이 가장 사랑한 영부인' 바버라 부시, 92세로 별세

미국 제 41대 대통령인 조지 H.W. 부시 전 대통령의 부인이자 43대 조지 W. 부시 대통령의 어머니인 바버라 부시 여사가 어제(17일) 향년 92세로 별세했습니다.

부시 가족 대변인인 짐 맥그래스 씨는 성명을 통해 바버라 여사가 텍사스에서 아들과 손자, 손녀 등 가족들이 지켜보는 가운데 세상을 떠났다고 밝혔습니다. 정확한 사인은 알려지지 않았습니다.

바바라 여사는 최근 건강 악화로 가족, 의료진과 상의한 끝에 추가적인 의학 치료를 중단하기로 한 상태였습니다.

언론들은 바버라 여사가 호흡기질환인 만성폐쇄성 폐 질환과 심부전을 앓았다고 전했습니다.

미국 역사상 생전에 남편과 아들이 대통령이 된 사례는 바버라 여사가 처음이며, 바버라 여사는 미국인들이 가장 사랑하는 '영부인'으로 꼽히고 있습니다. 바버라 여사는 바버라 부시 재단 등을 통해 문맹퇴치 캠페인을 활발하게 벌여왔습니다.

미국 명문 집안 출신인 바버라 여사는 지난 1925년 뉴욕에서 태어나, 1945년 2차 세계대전 직후 조지 H.W. 부시와 결혼했습니다.

부시 전 대통령 등 6남매를 둔 바버라 여사 부부는 가장 오래 결혼생활(73년)을 이어간 것으로도 유명합니다.

한편 올해 93세인 조지 H.W. 부시 대통령은 파킨슨병을 앓고 있으며 현재 휠체어에 의지해 지내고 있는 것으로 알려졌습니다.

VOA 뉴스

The Sweeping Legacy of First Lady Barbara Bush

President-elect and Mrs. Bush and Vice President-elect and Mrs. Quayle visit President and Mrs. Reagan at the White House the day after the election.

photo Credit: Joyce N. Boghosian | White House Photo Office

Former First Lady Barbara Bush, wife of 41st President George H. W. Bush, passed away in Houston, Texas, on April 17. The mother of 6 and grandmother of 17 was 92.

 

Only two women in American history have both served as First Lady and raised a son who would become president. The first was Abigail Adams, First Lady to President John Adams and the mother of John Quincy Adams. The second was Mrs. Bush, whose son George W. Bush would serve two terms as Commander in Chief beginning just 8 years after his father left office.

 

Yet Mrs. Bush’s legacy extends far beyond her role as the matriarch of one of America’s most consequential political families. She served as a close and trusted adviser to her husband during the first Bush Administration, and she tirelessly championed the cause of literacy throughout her life. The New York Times reports that Mrs. Bush attended more than 500 events related to literacy just counting her husband’s time as Vice President in the Reagan Administration alone.

 

“Amongst [Mrs. Bush’s] greatest achievements was recognizing the importance of literacy as a fundamental family value that requires nurturing and protection,” President Donald J. Trump said in a statement. “She will be long remembered for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfailingly well.”

 

The outpouring of deeply personal remembrances in the hours following Mrs. Bush’s death is a testament to both her force as a public figure and her warmth as a friend. “When I first met Barbara Bush in 1988 as she entertained spouses of congressional candidates at the @VP Residence, her sage advice and words of encouragement touched my life in a profound way,” Second Lady Karen Pence wrote on Twitter. “Since becoming Second Lady, she has become a trusted friend. I will miss her.”

 

Those sentiments weren’t limited to public officials. “You were a beautiful light in this world and I am forever thankful for your friendship,” Houston Texans defensive end J. J. Watt wrote.

 

 

Mrs. Bush’s far-reaching work and plainspoken style made her a bipartisan symbol for women’s empowerment. She also embraced the value of accessibility in a First Lady. When she famously wore fake pearls to her husband’s Presidential Inauguration and throughout her time in the White House, her deputy press secretary quipped it was because “she just really likes them.”

 

Acutely aware of the public spotlight cast on First Ladies, Mrs. Bush served as America’s first hostess “with respect but without fuss or frippery,” Vanessa Friedman writes in The New York Times.

 

The Bush family shared personal tributes of their own this week. “Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions,” former President George W. Bush wrote. “To us, she was so much more. Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end. I’m a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother.”

 

First Lady Melania Trump will attend Mrs. Bush’s funeral in Texas on April 21. President Trump has ordered that all U.S. flags at Federal locations fly at half-staff until sunset of that day.

 

“Throughout her life, she put family and country above all else,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement. “She was a woman of strength and we will always remember her for her most important roles of wife, mother, and First Lady of the United States.”

 

                                                                                           Easter at the White House

                                                 First Lady Barbara Bush walks toward her husband on the grounds of the White House.

                                                 Mrs. Bush takes Millie's puppies out for a walk in the Rose Garden of the White House.

                                                      Mrs. Bush poses with Millie on the Truman Balcony of the White House for the cover of "Millie's Book."

                                                                                          Mrs. Bush reads to children in the White House Library.

                                                                Mrs. Bush works with White House chefs to prepare for a Christmas Dinner.

                                                                        

                                                                                                   President and Mrs. Bush leave for Camp David

 

 

              

                                         President and Mrs. Bush walk arm-in-arm toward Marine one upon their departure for Camp David, 29 Sep 89.

                                                                      President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and Millie leave Marine one.