"We are sad to share that President Bush's beloved sister, Nancy Bush Ellis, has passed away," the foundation tweeted. "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."
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Ellis died Sunday at an assisted living facility in Concord, Massachusetts due to complications related to COVID-19, her son told the New York Times.
Ellis was born Nancy Walker Bush on Feb. 4, 1926, to Prescott and Dorothy Walker Bush. She was the third of five children and was less than two years younger than brother, George Herbert Walker Bush.
She was an environmentalist known for raising money for organizations like the NAACP and campaigning for her brother and nephew, former President George W. Bush, during their presidential runs.
She was a Democrat until President H.W. Bush's 1979 primary run, when she joined the GOP. She went on to campaign internationally for George W. Bush in an effort to encourage Americans living in Europe to register and vote.
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"My favorite aunt," George W. Bush once said, according to the New York Times.
"George," she would reply, "I am your only aunt.""
She was preceded in death by her husband, Alexander Ellis II in 1989, and three brothers, including President George H.W. Bush in 2018.
She's survived by her three sons; Alexander Ellis III, John Prescott Ellis, and Josiah Wear Ellis, who is president and chief executive of the Denver Broncos; a daughter, Nancy Walker Ellis Black; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Jonathan James Bush.
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