Michelle and I were saddened to hear about the passing of William Miranda Marin. Willie will be remembered for the passion with which he served as an Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard, as a government executive committed to economic development, and as mayor of a municipality that became a model of innovative government and citizen participation. His devotion to the people he represented earned him respect from supporters and opponents alike and touched countless lives. Michelle and I will always remember the warmth with which he received us in Puerto Rico, hosting Michelle at his pride and joy, the beautiful Botanical Gardens of Caguas. His legacy lives on in those he helped to empower who continue the work of expanding opportunity for all Puerto Ricans and all Americans.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carmen, his children William Edgardo, Luis Alexander, and Jose Juan, his grandchildren, and his entire family.
Note: The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language version of this statement.
Barack Obama, Statement on the Death of William Miranda Marin Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/288266