(Los Angeles) Michael Reagan, eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and conservative commentator, is no more. He was 80 years old.
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The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death Tuesday on the social platform X, calling him “the steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy.”
“Michael Reagan led a life guided by conviction, a sense of duty and unwavering dedication to the ideals of President Reagan,” the foundation said.
The cause of his death was not immediately communicated.
“Michael was called back to God on Sunday, January 4, surrounded by his entire family,” his wife, Colleen Reagan, and his two children, Cameron Reagan and Ashley Reagan Dunster, wrote in a statement. We are deeply saddened by the loss of this man who meant so much to all those who knew and loved him. »
Michael Reagan was a contributor to the conservative television network Newsmax and hosted the radio show The Michael Reagan Show.
Born in 1945, Mr. Reagan was the son of Irene Flaugher. Hours after his birth, he was adopted by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actress Jane Wyman.
The young Reagan followed in his parents’ footsteps.
After studying at Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College, he embarked on an acting career, including starring in the television series Falcon Crest. For nearly twenty years, he hosted a conservative radio show where he discussed political and cultural subjects.
In two autobiographical works, On the Outside Looking in And Twice Adoptedhe spoke of a sometimes difficult childhood, marked by the acceptance of his adoption and his spiritual journey.
Mr. Reagan also wrote several other books, including Lessons My Father Taught Mepublished in 2016, where he detailed the lessons learned growing up as the son of Ronald Reagan. Throughout his life, Michael Reagan raised money and worked for charities, including using speedboat racing to fund the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund. He served on the advisory board of the Mixed Roots Foundation, which focuses on foster care and adoption in the United States and internationally.
Mr. Reagan chaired the board of directors of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation for three years, working on the same disease that killed his father in 2004.
As president of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, he championed his father’s legacy. This conservative former president was known for his desire to reduce the size of government and for devoting his presidency to victory in the Cold War.
