APALEXANDER
Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush
Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush
Barbara Bush, the former First Lady who became a champion of reading and literacy, died Tuesday at age 92 in Houston. The matriarch of the family that included two presidents and a Florida governor had strong ties to the Gulfshore. Boca Grande was a frequent vacation destination, and Barbara would often play a round on the Gasparilla Inn golf course. Perhaps her biggest impact in Southwest Florida was the annual Celebration of Reading. Since 2001, the event has brought best-selling authors to the area to help raise money (more than $26 million so far) for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Here, Southwest Floridians remember the former First Lady. We'll be updating as more remembrances come in.