Former US president dies at 93

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Dec 27, 2006

Gerald ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th US president and the only one never elected to nationwide office, has died aged 93.

"My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age," his wife Betty Ford said in a statement issued from her husband's office in Rancho Mirage, California.

"His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country."

He died at 6.45pm local time yesterday at his home, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, his office said in a statement. No cause of death was released. Funeral arrangements were to be announced later today.

Ford was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93.

Minutes after Nixon resigned in disgrace over the Watergate scandal and flew into exile, Ford took office and famously declared: "Our long national nightmare is over."