TAOS, N.M. — Donald Rumsfeld, a former U.S. secretary of defense, has died at the age of 88.
Rumsfeld’s family announced his death in a statement posted on Twitter on Wednesday. They said he passed away surrounded by his family in Taos, New Mexico.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather,” wrote the family.
Rumsfeld served as the nation’s defense secretary under two administrations, first under former President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and again under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006.
The Republican also served as a U.S. congressman from Illinois in the 1960s and worked as White House chief of staff for a short time under Ford.
“History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country,” his family wrote.
