YORK COUNTY — Barbara Bush will be remembered as former first lady of the country, but she will also be remembered as a devoted wife and mother, a loyal dog owner, a faithful advocate for literacy and other causes and a good friend.

Upon the news of her death Tuesday, Governor Paul LePage directed that all United States flags and State of Maine flags shall be flown at half-staff immediately until sunset on the day of interment.

LePage said Mainers hold a special place in their heart for the Bushes, and with Mrs. Bush’s death, America had lost a great friend.

Maine Republican Party Chair Demi Kouzouna of Saco said Mrs. Bush valued “decency and honesty.”

“Barbara once said the most important parts of our life are, ‘faith, family, and friends,’” she said. 

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she first met Mrs. Bush in 1994 when she was running for governor and Bush campaigned with her. She said she has been fortunate to have had Mrs. Bush as a friend and supporter and visited the Bushes every summer at the Bushes Kennebunkport home. 

“Barbara Bush was a great first lady, a terrific advocate for literary programs and the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, and a strong woman who loved her family, the State of Maine, and our country,” said Collins. 

U.S. Senator Angus King, a Maine Independent, said Mrs. Bush served the country with grace and devotion.

“First Lady Barbara Bush was a true American, leader, mother, and wife whose lifelong commitment to universal literacy improved the lives of generations of American children,” he said. “In Maine, many of us were fortunate to spot her as she walked the beach in Kennebunkport over the years, and her connection to our state, her deep concern for the wellbeing of its children, and her unwavering generosity has helped provide care for thousands of children throughout Maine at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.”

Southern Maine Health Care President and CEO Ed McGeachey recalled Mrs. Bush as a dedicated supporter of the hospital.

“Mrs. Bush was a lovely person, admired for her wisdom, wit and direct, down-to-earth style. Anyone who met Mrs. Bush, including many of our staff, was treated with kindness and respect,” he said.

In 2008, the former first lady was instrumental in helping the University of New England in Biddeford forge a partnership with the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University and create UNE’s George and Barbara Bush Center, which houses a collection of photographs and paintings celebrating the Bushes’ love of the Maine coast, as well as a replica of the Oval Office during the Bush presidency, and a statue of the president.  

The George and Barbara Bush Distinguished Lecture Series has been an annual event at UNE since 2010, with the Bushes attending the event until failing health forced them to miss it in 2016. 

“Mrs. Bush’s remarkable life will continue to inspire us,” said UNE President James D. Herbert. “With her commitment to her family, her faith, and the causes she held dear, she exemplified the degree to which each of us is capable of making the world a better place.” 

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.