Serving from 1953 to 1961, Richard Nixon was the only US president to ever resign from office due to the terrible Watergate scandal. However, he achieved many things including ending the Vietnam war. He died at a pretty old age. But since he resigned before his term ended, did he get a presidential funeral? Where was he buried?
Richard Nixon was buried at The Richard Nixon Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California.
Richard Nixon lived a fulfilling life as a public servant and as a family man. Let’s find out about his funeral and where he was laid to rest.
Did Richard Nixon have a state funeral?
Richard Nixon was the second president of the United States to die after President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Richard Nixon specifically asked not to be buried in Washington, D.C. While his tenure as president was short-lived due to an unfortunate scandal, we can’t say that was his reason.
After his death, his body was flown to Marine Corps Air Station in California. He was moved in the SAM 27000, which was the presidential plane that was also used as Air Force One during his time in office.
The ideal stop would have been Washington but, since they had to respect his wish, he was taken to the Nixon Library and was buried there.
How many presidents attended Richard Nixon’s burial?
After Richard Nixon’s death, a memorial service was held for him on April 27, 1994. Many world leaders from over 80 countries attended his funeral.
Despite his short tenure, the former president achieved world peace to a certain extent, by improving the United States’ diplomatic relations during a time of great tensions.
Five US presidents – Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford – were in attendance. He was the first US president to have five presidents at his funeral.
How old was Richard Nixon when he died?
Richard Nixon died in 1994 when he was 81 years old.
Before his passing, he published works on foreign policy derived from his own experience. He was well-regarded as an elder statesman.
It was a sad time for his family and the United States. While his presidency was riddled with some controversy, he was well-loved by many.
How did Richard Nixon die?
On the 18th of April 1994, Richard Nixon was having a normal day with his family and had a debilitating stroke. He started receiving treatments immediately but the condition didn’t seem to get any better.
Four days later, on the 22nd of April 1994, he breathed his last. Pat, Richard Nixon’s wife, died less than a year prior, on June 22, 1993.
Could the grief have played a part in his health? We can only guess. The couple was very loving and supportive of each other, so it’s not impossible that the former president’s health declined after losing his beloved wife.
He was survived by their two daughters and grandchildren.
Why was Richard Nixon buried at his library and museum?
Richard Nixon nor his family did not release an official explanation for his wishes to be buried in California.
But, if we look closely, one detail can help make sense of it: Yorba Linda, where the library and museum are located, is also Nixon’s birthplace.
The presidential couple is buried next to each other in the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Their gravesite is located on the same grounds as the former president’s birthplace.
Who else is buried in the Nixon Library?
Richard Nixon’s wife, Pat Nixon, died on June 22, 1993. She was a heavy smoker during her lifetime, although she was never seen with a cigarette in public.
In 1990, as her health continued to decline, the Nixon family decided to relocate to a more secure neighborhood.
In December 1992, she was diagnosed with emphysema, lung cancer, and oral cancer. After staying on life support for a few months, she died on June 22nd, 1993.
She was 81 years old and was survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren.
Pat Nixon was buried in the Nixon library, meaning her funeral was the first to happen at the property. Her epitaph carried her full name, “Patricia Ryan Nixon,” a name that everybody called her.
On her gravestone was the phrase, “Even when people can’t speak your language, they can tell if you have love in your heart.”
What was Richard Nixon’s net worth when he died?
In 2022, even after his death, Richard Nixon was worth $20 million.
Most of this came from his library and museum, pension, and salary during his presidency.
His daughters manage his library and museum, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and according to what their father would have wanted.