The passing of a U.S. president is a significant moment in history, closing the final chapter of their leadership and legacy. Some lived long lives, battling illness in their later years, while others faced sudden and tragic ends. This is how the last nine departed U.S. presidents have passed away.
1. Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)
Jimmy Carter was 100 years old when he died on December 29, 2024. He was the longest-living President in U.S. history. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, he didn’t think he would have long to live, but he survived for many more years. He underwent cancer treatment before entering a hospice in 2023. President Carter passed away after 22 months of hospice care.
2. George H. W. Bush (1924-2018)
George H.W. Bush passed away on November 30, 2018, when he was 94 years old. This happened just eight months after his wife, Barbara Bush, died. President Bush suffered from vascular parkinsonism and was wheelchair-bound for the last few years of his life. In the end, he passed away from Parkinson’s disease in 2018.
3. Gerald Ford (1913-2006)
Gerald Ford passed away on December 26, 2006, when he was 93 years old. He passed away from arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease and diffuse arteriosclerosis. He passed away on the 34th anniversary of Harry Truman’s death, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.
4. Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)
On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan died when he was 93 years old from Alzheimer’s disease and pneumonia. President Reagan had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for ten years and hardly made any public appearances. He passed away in Los Angeles, California.
5. Richard Nixon (1913-1994)
On April 22, 1994, 81-year-old Richard Nixon passed away after a stroke. The stroke occurred due to a blood clot that formed in his heart and later traveled to his brain. At his funeral, then-President Bill Clinton delivered a eulogy. Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush were all in attendance.
6. Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973)
On January 22, 1973, 64-year-old Lyndon B. Johnson passed away from a heart attack. President Johnson died just one month after Harry Truman, which left the nation with no living ex-presidents until Richard Nixon resigned in 1974.
7. Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)
Harry S. Truman passed away on December 26, 1972, when he was 88 years old. He died from multiple organ failures, including lung congestion, cardiovascular collapse, and pneumonia. He passed in Kansas City, Missouri.
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
At 78 years old, Dwight D. Eisenhower passed away from heart failure on March 28, 1969. Though he passed away in Washington, D.C., his remains were taken to his hometown of Abilene, Kansas, via train for burial.
9. John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
John F. Kennedy was only 46 years old when he died from a gunshot fired by communist sympathizer Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963. Many people believe that Oswald did not act alone in the assassination, but we will never know the truth, as he passed away just two days after JFK.
Sources:
How All The Departed US Presidents Have Died
5 Fascinating Facts about the Births and Deaths of U.S. Presidents
Tragic history of deaths in the White House
