Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney passed away at the age of 84 on Monday night, his family said in a statement. Cheney was considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history and served alongside former President George W. Bush between 2001 and 2009.
According to Reuters, Cheney had been suffering from pneumonia as well as cardiac and vascular diseases.
Cheney was the 46th vice president and a key figure in U.S. politics, and former President George W. Bush chose him as his running mate in the 2000 U.S. elections, which they won.
Cheney strongly supported the invasion of Iraq after warning that the country possessed an alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction-a claim that was never proven.
During his political career, he was picked by Donald Rumsfeld as his deputy White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford and then succeeded his mentor and close friend in the job in 1975.
CNN reported that while Democratic President Jimmy Carter was in the White House, Cheney decided to run for Congress and was elected to Wyoming’s sole US House seat in 1978. Cheney served six terms, rising to become House minority whip.
Dick Cheney’s daughter Liz Cheney is an American Attorney. She is former Republican lawmaker and had served in the House of Representatives for Wyoming.
During Democrat Bill Clinton’s presidency, Cheney joined Dallas-based Halliburton Co. serving as its chief executive officer.
Cheney is survived by Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary Cheney and seven grandchildren.
“We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man”, the family said in a statement as reported by CNN.
