Delaware

Beau Biden, Vice President's Son, Dies of Cancer

Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden and a distinguished lawyer and politician in his own right, has died after battling brain cancer, his father announced Saturday. He was 46.

"It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life," the vice president said in a a statement Saturday.

[NATL-PHI] Beau Biden's Life in Photos

"In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known," the statement went on to say.

The younger Biden was a lawyer, member of the Delaware National Guard and former Delaware attorney general.

"Like his dad, Beau was a good, big-hearted, devoutly Catholic and deeply faithful man, who made a difference in the lives of all he touched - and he lives on in their hearts," President Obama said in a statement.

Beau Biden suffered a mild stroke in 2010 and underwent surgery at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2013 to remove what was described as a small lesion after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. His doctors gave him a clean bill of health in November 2013, according to a statement from the vice president's office.

But he suffered a recurrence in spring 2015, and immediately sought aggressive treatment. He was hospitalized earlier this month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

"Despite a valiant fight, Beau passed away on Saturday night, surrounded by his entire family," according to the statement from the vice president's office.

[NATLu002du002dDO NOT USE] In Memoriam: Influential People We've Lost This Year

He announced last year that he would not seek a third term as attorney general and instead planned to run for governor in 2016.

Born February 3, 1969 in Wilmington, Delaware, Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III was Delaware's 44th Attorney General, from 2007-2015. A Bronze Star recipient, Beau served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, joining in 2003. He supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq as part of a year-long deployment in September 2009.

As attorney general, he launched Delaware's Child Predator Task Force, cracked down on child pornography and worked with police officials to curb human trafficking.

He launched his legal career as a prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia. He received his bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree at Syracuse University College of Law.

Beau is survived by his wife, Hallie, and their two children, Natalie and Hunter; his parents Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden; his brother Hunter Biden, sister-in-law Kathleen, and nieces Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy; and his sister Ashley Biden and brother-in-law Howard Krein.

The White House has set-up a memorial page for Beau on their website for people to send messages to the Biden Family. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us