Former United States Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, died from COVID-19 complications at the age of 84 on Monday, October 18, 2021. Powell had also been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells.
His family released a statement regarding Powell’s passing on Powell’s Facebook page. Powell was fully vaccinated.
General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American. — The Powell Family
Powell is survived by his wife and three children. Powell and his wife Alma celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in August.
General Colin Powell
Powell retired from the United States military as a four-star general in 1993 after 35 years of service.
He was first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving under President George H. W. Bush and President Bill Clinton from 1989 to 1993. Powell later became the first Black United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was Secretary of State during the 9/11 attacks.
Powell is remembered for his support of the 2003 war on Iraq, which Powell himself called a “blot” on his record. “It turned out, as we discovered later, that a lot of sources that had been attested to by the intelligence community were wrong…It has blotted my record, but — you know — there’s nothing I can do to change that blot. All I can say is that I gave it the best analysis that I could.”
Powell was also known as a man of faith and spoke at Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit in 2013.
George W. Bush and Others React
Former president George W. Bush and his wife Laura posted a statement saying, “Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell. He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam. Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience. He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration. He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom — twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad. And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”
Former NFL standout and pro-life advocate Benjamin Watson tweeted, “A great American, servant and leader. May the Lord comfort and keep the Powell family, friends and loved ones during this time. Thank you for your service to this land and its people. The country mourns.”
Russell Moore, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Liberty Commission, tweeted, “This disease has taken incalculably much from our country, and continues to do so. Grateful for the service of Gen. Powell.”
President of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham, tweeted, “Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has passed away from complications related to #COVID19. He faithfully served our nation for 60+ yrs. He’s pictured here with my father @BillyGraham & Dick Cheney in 1991. Our thoughts & prayers are w/his family during this difficult time.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence tweeted, “Colin Powell was a true American Patriot who served our Nation with distinction in uniform, as a four-star general, National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and as 65th Secretary of State. Karen and I are praying for his wife, Alma, and the entire Powell family.”