William H. T. Bush
William Henry Trotter "Bucky" Bush | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 July 1938 Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | 27 February 2018 (aged 79) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Member of the Bush family; founder and CEO of Bush O'Donnell & Co. |
William Henry Trotter “Bucky” Bush, CStJ (July 14, 1938 – February 27, 2018), was an American financier and entrepreneur. As a member of the Bush lineage, he was the youngest offspring of US Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush, the youngest sibling of former President George H. W. Bush, and uncle to both former President George W. Bush and ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Biography
Hailing from Greenwich, Connecticut, Bush completed his secondary education at the Hotchkiss School in 1956 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1960, where he was affiliated with the Psi Upsilon fraternity. In 2009, Queen Elizabeth II honored him by naming him a Commander Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.
He lived in St. Louis, Missouri, the city associated with his late grandfather George Herbert Walker. In 1959, he married Patricia Redfearn, who passed away in 2015. Together, they had two children: William Prescott "Scott" Bush and Louisa Bush McCall. He passed away on February 27, 2018, in West Palm Beach, Florida, leaving behind three elder siblings.
Business
Bush’s career spanned banking and venture capital, founding the firm Bush O'Donnell & Co. in 1986 and leading it as CEO until his passing. He was instrumental in fundraising efforts for the political campaigns of George H. W., George W., and Jeb Bush.
Between 1978 and 1986, he served as president and director at Boatmen's Bancshares based in St. Louis. His leadership extended to several major St. Louis organizations: he chaired the Board of Trustees at Saint Louis University from 1985 to 1992, led the Missouri Botanical Garden as chairman between 1991 and 1993, and presided over the Municipal Opera Association from 2005 to 2006. Moreover, he was a board member for Maritz, Inc. and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri from 1989 through 1994.
On May 18, 2010, during a shareholder meeting for WellPoint in Indianapolis—where he served on the board—Bush experienced a collapse. He was promptly hospitalized but remained conscious and was anticipated to recover fully.