Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford
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On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States,[1] died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California at 6:45 p.m. local time (02:45, December 27, UTC).[2][3]
Background
At 8:49 p.m. local time, President Ford's wife of 58 years, Betty Ford, issued a statement that confirmed his death: "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country."
At the age of 93 years and 165 days, Ford was the longest-lived U.S. president in history until November 25, 2017, when his record was then surpassed by George H. W. Bush, who lived to be past 94 years.
Ford was the second president to die during the presidency of George W. Bush, as well as the second to die in the twenty-first century. The first being Ronald Reagan.
Funeral
The schedule for the state funeral was announced at a press briefing on December 27 in Palm Desert, California.[4]
President and Mrs. Ford and their family chose to have the state funeral and related services in three phases (Palm Desert, California; Washington, D.C.; Grand Rapids, Michigan), with his burial in a hillside tomb next to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The services and ceremonies were held from December 29 through January 3.
The state funeral took place at the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, December 30, 2006, with further funeral services on January 2 at Washington National Cathedral and on January 3 at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids.[5]
Death And State Funeral Of Gerald Ford Media
Photograph of President Gerald Ford announcing his decision to grant a pardon to former President Richard Nixon.
Ford is honored during a memorial service in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., December 30, 2006.
Hearse with Ford's body pauses at the World War II Memorial
Funeral of President Ford in Washington National Cathedral.
Citizens lining outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan during a public visitation of Ford.
Billboard in Grand Rapids following the death of Gerald R. Ford.
References
- ↑ Remembering President Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006) The White House.gov, Retrieved 24 January 2013
- ↑ Wilson, Jeff. Former President Ford dies at 93 Associated Press.
- ↑ Naughton, James M.; Clymer, Adam (December 27, 2006). "Gerald Ford, 38th President, Dies at 93". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/washington/27webford.html. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ↑ "CNN". CNN. 2000-08-16. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
- ↑ "California mourners say farewell to Ford". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/29/ford.obit/index.html. Retrieved May 1, 2010.