Nancy Bush Ellis, Sister and Aunt of Presidents, Dies at 94
Source: New York Times
Nancy Bush Ellis, the sister of one president and aunt of another, who for a time devoted herself to Democratic causes despite her family dynasty’s Republican lineage, died on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Concord, Mass. She was 94.
Her son Alexander Ellis 3d said the cause was complications related to Covid-19. She was hospitalized on Dec. 30 with a fever and tested positive for the coronavirus, he said. Her symptoms abated within days, he added, but her general health was failing.
Smart, athletic and outgoing, Ms. Ellis exuded the patrician charm of a bygone era, Jon Meacham, the historian and biographer of President George Bush, said in a phone interview.
She was active, he added, at a time when public service was perceived as noble and politicians from the other party were not regarded as enemies.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/nancy-bush-ellis-dead.html
Nancy Bush Ellis with her brother, President George Bush, in 1990.
Though she was a liberal Democrat, she campaigned for him enthusiastically.
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Her own liberal politics seemed ironic, given that her brother had swung to the right so much during the '88 campaign.
You'll recall that he had to do that in no small part because it was the only way to beat Dole and (egads!) Pat Robertson in the GOP primaries.
There was a real fear, in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of '87, that a far-right regime under Robertson could actually take over, and cause a lot of trouble as a result.
While the timing was off, we now know that fear was no exaggeration.
