Jenna Bush Hager and Her Daughter, 6, Pay Tribute to George H. W. Bush on Anniversary of His Death
Jenna Bush Hager and her family are paying tribute to their late patriarch, former President George H. W. Bush, on the anniversary of his death.
The Today show co-host, 38, shared an emotional tribute to her late grandfather on Instagram Sunday, including a series of photos with him and her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush. In the heartfelt caption, Bush Hager revealed the sweet way her 6-year-old daughter Mila comforted her with love.
“One year yesterday, we lost our Gamps. He is gone but he left behind a family that loves each other — we talked yesterday about how much we love him and each other,” the mom of three wrote. “He showed us that serving with humility is the best way to serve and that living with kindness and generosity of spirit is the best way to live.”
“We miss you Gampy, but as Mila said yesterday: don’t worry mama, he’s celebrating in heaven with Ganny. ??,” she added.
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A post shared by Jenna Bush Hager (@jennabhager) on Dec 1, 2019 at 7:15am PST
The former 41st president died on Nov. 30, 2018, at the age of 94, just seven months after his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush died.
In the days following her grandfather’s death, Bush Hager reflected on how grateful she was that her two daughters, Mila and 4-year-old Poppy Louise, got to know their great-grandfather before his death.
“What a gift that my girls got to know our Gampy,” she posted on Instagram at the time. “What an honor that we could name our Poppy after such a principled, humble, kind man who we all loved fiercely and who loved us back.”
When Poppy was born, Jenna and her husband Henry Hager explained the special meaning of their daughter’s name. “Poppy is named after Jenna’s grandfather,” they said in a statement. “His nickname growing up was Poppy, and we are proud to name her after a man we so adore.”
The former president is often remembered for his altruism. His daughter Dorothy Bush Koch, 60, and son Neil Bush, 64, told PEOPLE on Friday that their family hopes to honor his “legacy of unrelenting service to others” on the anniversary of his death.
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“Dad loved to honor those people who were catalysts in their communities, who inspired hope in others by defeating apathy with empathy,” Koch and Neil said. “It is through selfless actions, often in insurmountable situations, when we are most reminded of the strength of character and leadership which our father exhibited, but also admired.”
The pair added: “In his honor, we ask and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to think of how they can be a point of light and inspiration in their own community and help transform the world into one in which no one sits on the sidelines.”
The “point of light” phrase was a signature of the 41st president’s administration, along with the thousand-plus commendations he gave to individuals and organizations. These daily “Points of the Light” awards later gave rise to the Points of Light Foundation in 1990, which Neil now chairs.
