Nancy Walker Bush Ellis obit

Nancy Bush Ellis dead at 94 – George H.W. Bush’s sister passes away from Covid complications

 

She was not on the list.

GEORGE H.W. Bush’s sister has passed away from Covid complications at the age of 94, her heartbroken family revealed.

Nancy Bush Ellis, who devoted herself to Democratic causes despite her family dynasty’s Republican lineage, died on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Concord, Mass.

Her son Alexander Ellis 3d said the cause was complications related to Covid-19.

He said that she was hospitalized on December 30, with a fever and tested positive for the coronavirus.

Her symptoms abated within days, but her general health was failing, Alexander added.

Nancy's death was also confirmed by the George & Barbara Bush Foundation via Twitter.

The foundation tweeted: "We are sad to share that President Bush's beloved sister, Nancy Bush Ellis, has passed away.

"Our condolences and prayers are with the Ellis and Bush families as we remember a remarkable woman who brought joy and light to the world."

Jon Meacham, the historian and biographer of President George Bush led the tributes to Nancy after her tragic passing.

In an phone interview with the New York Times he said she was: "Smart, athletic and outgoing, Ms. Ellis exuded the patrician charm of a bygone era.

"She was active at a time when public service was perceived as noble and politicians from the other party were not regarded as enemies.

"She was a Katharine Hepburn-like figure."

Nancy was born Nancy Walker Bush on February 4, 1926, to Prescott and Dorothy Walker Bush, and later on became an Ellis.

She was the third of five children and was less than two years younger than brother, George Herbert Walker Bush.

Her death follows that of her husband Alexander Ellis II in 1989, and three brothers, including President George H.W. Bush in 2018.

She had three sons, Alexander Ellis III, John Prescott Ellis, and Josiah Wear Ellis, and a daughter, Nancy Walker Ellis Black, nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and a brother, Jonathan James Bush, who are all still alive.

Unlike the majority of her family, Nancy wasn't a Republican, but was a liberal Democrat.

She also was known for raising money for organizations such as the NAACP.

Despite their differing political views, Nancy campaigned for her brother George H.W Bush's presidential campaign in 1979.

To which she replied: "George, I am your only aunt."

She also went on to campaign internationally for nephew George W. Bush in an effort to encourage Americans living in Europe to register and vote.

The pair had a close relationship and he once described her as his "favorite aunt," according to the New York Times.