Barbara Bush Biography Quotes 25 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Barbara Bush was born Barbara Pierce on June 8, 1925, in New York City and grew up in Rye, New York. She was the daughter of Marvin Pierce, a magazine executive who later led the McCall Corporation, and Pauline Robinson Pierce. In a family that valued civic responsibility and reading, she developed a lifelong love of books and plainspoken humor. She attended Rye Country Day School and later Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was remembered for her wit, athleticism, and practical leadership.

Meeting George H. W. Bush and Family Life
At 16, Barbara met George Herbert Walker Bush at a dance during the early days of World War II. Their courtship unfolded against the uncertainty of wartime service, and they married on January 6, 1945, while he was on leave from the U.S. Navy. After the war, they settled in New Haven, Connecticut, as he pursued his studies at Yale University, then moved to Texas, where he embarked on an oil business career that took the family to Midland and Houston.

Barbara and George built a large, close-knit family. Their children were George W. Bush, Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush, John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, Neil Mallon Bush, Marvin Pierce Bush, and Dorothy "Doro" Bush. The death of their daughter Robin from leukemia at age three left a lasting mark on Barbara and helped shape her empathy for families facing hardship. As George moved from business into public service, she kept the household steady through frequent relocations, raising the children with firm expectations, humor, and an emphasis on reading and service.

From Texas to Washington and the World
George H. W. Bush's political path led the family from Texas to Washington and abroad. He served in Congress, at the United Nations, as chair of the Republican National Committee, as chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China, and as Director of Central Intelligence. Barbara adapted to each new posting, welcoming colleagues and friends, learning from different cultures, and writing vivid letters home. In these varied roles she honed the skills that would later define her public identity: warmth, accessibility, and a knack for making complex institutions feel human.

Second Lady and First Lady
With Ronald Reagan's election in 1980, George became vice president, and Barbara served as second lady from 1981 to 1989. She devoted her attention to literacy and volunteerism, visiting schools, libraries, and community centers. When George H. W. Bush became the 41st president in 1989, Barbara made family literacy her signature cause as first lady. She launched the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy that same year, emphasizing that parents and children should learn together. She used the platform of the White House to highlight how reading and writing open doors to employment, health, and civic participation.

Barbara's public presence was direct and unpretentious. She became recognizable for her white hair and trademark pearls, symbols she sometimes joked about, using her image to draw attention to causes rather than to herself. She visited AIDS patients at a time when fear and stigma were high, displaying compassion and urging understanding. She also spoke at Wellesley College in 1990 alongside Raisa Gorbacheva, delivering a commencement address focused on life choices, family, and work that won over initially skeptical students.

Advocacy, Health, and Writing
Barbara believed literacy was foundational to addressing many social challenges, from poverty to health outcomes. Through her foundation, she supported community-based programs, book distribution, tutoring, and family-centered instruction. Proceeds from her books helped fund this work. She wrote "C. Fred's Story", narrated from the perspective of a beloved family pet, and "Millie's Book", about the White House dog, which became a bestseller. Later, she published "Barbara Bush: A Memoir" and "Reflections: Life After the White House", offering candid insights into public life, marriage, and motherhood.

During her White House years, she was diagnosed with Graves disease, a thyroid condition, and discussed it publicly, encouraging others to seek diagnosis and care. Her matter-of-fact approach to personal health challenges aligned with her broader message of resilience and responsibility.

Matriarch of a Political Family
Barbara's influence extended deeply into her children's adult lives. George W. Bush became the 43rd president, and during his terms she was sometimes called "First Mother", offering counsel while carefully avoiding interference in official matters. Jeb Bush served as governor of Florida and later sought the presidency, drawing on a family culture that valued public service and civility. Her other children, Neil, Marvin, and Doro, pursued business, philanthropy, and writing, each shaped by the same emphasis on education and community. Laura Bush, a former librarian and first lady, shared Barbara's devotion to books and reading, and together they championed literacy programs. Among Barbara's grandchildren, Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager became public voices in their own right, often recalling their grandmother's humor, candor, and steadfastness.

Barbara maintained close bonds with her in-laws, including her father-in-law, Prescott Bush, a U.S. senator, and her mother-in-law, Dorothy Walker Bush, whose example of civic engagement resonated throughout the family. She and George H. W. Bush supported volunteer service nationally through initiatives such as Points of Light, reinforcing a belief that neighbors helping neighbors can transform communities.

Later Years, Passing, and Legacy
After leaving the White House in 1993, Barbara divided her time between Texas and Maine, continuing to raise funds for literacy and to appear at schools and libraries. She remained accessible to the public, writing letters, visiting hospitals, and supporting disaster relief efforts. She also made occasional appearances at political conventions and campaign events, always with a talent for disarming one-liners and for reminding audiences that politics should serve people, not the other way around.

In April 2018, following a period of declining health, Barbara chose comfort care and died at home in Houston on April 17, 2018, at age 92. Her funeral was attended by family, friends, and leaders from across the political spectrum, a reflection of the broad respect she commanded. She was laid to rest at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, near the grave of her daughter Robin, and later her husband, who died in November 2018.

Barbara Bush's legacy endures in the programs of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and in the lives of countless families who found opportunity through reading and education. She is remembered as a first lady who combined candor with compassion, a wife and partner across more than seven decades of marriage, and the matriarch of a family deeply engaged in public life. Anchored by her belief in the power of words, she used her voice to open doors for others and to remind the country that learning is a lifelong gift.

Our collection contains 25 quotes who is written by Barbara, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Friendship - Meaning of Life - Overcoming Obstacles.

• Wikipedia