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Donald Rumsfeld, who served two U.S. presidents as their secretary of defense, died at the age of 88 on June 29.
Multiple reports, including those from the Associated Press and a statement from Rumsfeld’s family, say that he died in Taos, New Mexico with his family at his side.
On June 30, Rep. Michael McCaul issued his own statement about Rumsfeld’s death via Twitter, accompanying a retweet of the family’s statement announcing it.
“Donald Rumsfeld was a public servant who dedicated his life to defending American freedoms and values. Thank you for your service, Mr. Secretary,” wrote the Houston Republican.
The cause of Rumsfeld’s death is unknown, as is the precise time.
His family’s statement, released on Rumsfeld’s own Twitter account, concluded in this way: “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.”
He was born in the Chicagoland area in 1932, and was listening to a Chicago Bears football game on the radio in 1941 when the announcement came that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. Throughout his formative years, the family moved to be near his father, who had joined the Navy following Pearl Harbor, according to the Associated Press.
Rumsfeld’s career in Washington, D.C. began in 1957 as Rep. Dave Dennison’s (R-Ohio) assistant. Rumsfeld served later as a congressman representing Illinois for four terms, before serving former President Gerald Ford and former President George W. Bush as their secretary of defense. He oversaw the response of the Pentagon following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, according to CNBC.
Rumsfeld is survived by his wife, Joyce, who he married in 1954, as well as three children and grandchildren.