 AFP/POOL/File Photo |
Posted on 06/10/2004 6:59:54 PM PDT by Toidylop
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Moments before Ronald Reagan (news) died, he awoke and looked at his wife of 52 years, Nancy, with eyes "full of love," the couple's daughter Patti Davis was quoted as saying.
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For Nancy Reagan, the former US leader's last moments of apparent consciousness were "the greatest gift" he could have given her, Davis wrote in an edition of People magazine that goes on sale Friday.
"At the last moment, when his breathing told us this was it, he opened his eyes and looked straight at my mother.
"Eyes that hadn't opened for days did, and they weren't chalky or vague. They were clear and blue and full of love, and then they closed with his last breath. If a death can be lovely, his was," she said.
The president's daughter, her brother Ron and their mother Nancy were all at Reagan's bedside in his mansion in Los Angeles' exclusive Bel Air district when he died Saturday afternoon aged 93.
Nancy Reagan, 82, broke down in tears when her husband's 10-year battle against debilitating Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites) finally ended with a moving look.
"'The greatest gift you could have given me', my mother managed to say to him through tears, through 'I love you', through the towering beauty of that last moment. The hush in the room broken by quiet crying," Davis wrote.
Davis had revealed in December that her father was confined to a hospital bed in his home and could no longer recognise his loved ones, speak or even feed himself.
Reagan's adopted son Michael, who missed his father's death after being caught in Los Angeles' traffic, said he found Nancy, Patti and Ron sitting on a couch in the former first lady's bedroom.
"The door was closed where Dad was, Michael Reagan told People. "We hugged. We knew that he was with the angels, where he always wanted to be, and then I went in and visited with my father.
"I kissed him on the forehead and I said the Our Father. He gave us all strength, wrote Michael Reagan, who was adopted by Reagan and his first wife, actress Jane Wyman (news).
Ron Reagan praised his father's "unfailing courtesy," warmth and humility.
"For all his strength and directness, he was the most decent man I've ever known. And certainly the kindest, he said.
BTTT
may be it's true, or may be patti didn't want to play second fiddle to michael's loving story of his father's open arms full of love. I don't trust Patti at this time.
I'm annoyed with Michael constantly being referred to as "adopted." He was a better child than Nancy's two brats.
may be it's true, or may be patti didn't want to play second fiddle to michael's loving story of his father's open arms full of love. I don't trust Patti at this time.
That sort of thing happens a lot.
I prefer....
the CHOSEN son.
the one that Ronald picked to be his very own.
Michael appears to be on the outside looking in, and IMO he doesn't deserve it.
I agree. I see it all the time, on the news, here on FR, and it irks me just a little bit.
I see no reason to keep referring to Michael as the adopted son. He is Reagan's son, pure and simple. Making the distinction repeatedly only serves to set him apart from the rest of the family: Oh, he's the adopted son... As if there's some sort of stigma attached to it.
Oh please...must you?
Exactly.......The media probably enjoys doing it because he's such a prominent conservative.
"may be it's true, or may be patti didn't want to play second fiddle to michael's loving story of his father's open arms full of love. I don't trust Patti at this time."
It's certainly possible. And, that isn't very nice.
"I'm annoyed with Michael constantly being referred to as "adopted." He was a better child than Nancy's two brats."
I don't think that's appropriate to say.
Heartbreaking story. Patty is quite the writer. She has the ability to put you in the room with her word pictures.
I prayed for something like this to happen. I'm so thankful that it did.
Exactly, Patty made her peace with her parents years ago and is obviously a great source of strength and support to her Mother. No reason at all not to trust her, and in fact, I am not even sure what that means.
"
I'm annoyed with Michael constantly being referred to as "adopted." He was a better child than Nancy's two brats."
PLease...now is not the time...
This is so sad and moving.
What THAT means is that by the body language of her and Ron jr. during these state ceremonies she has shown rude body language toward her brother, Michael on several occasions. It's been nauseating to watch.
My father died the same way. He had not opened his eyes for quite some time. He had not responded for quite some time. Then as we knew he was going, he opened his eyes, clearer than they had been for a while, full of love, looking at us, yet looking ahead at the Lord and smiled the most peaceful smile I had seen from him in years. And then he closed his eyes and died. What a wonderful memory it brought to mind. Believe that it is true. I saw it myself. But it was my own earthly father - meeting our heavenly Father. It has impacted everyone's life. I pray it will Reagan's death will do the same for those who watched him meet his heavenly Father.
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