The politician died on Saturday after a battle with brain cancer.
John McCain, former United States senator, has died. He was 81.
The politician died on Saturday at his home in Arizona after a longtime battle with brain cancer, The New York Times reports.
According to a statement from his office, obtained by the NYT, McCain died at 4:28 p.m. local time surrounded by his wife, Cindy, and their family.
McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2017, and earlier this week, his family revealed in a statement that he had decided to stop medical treatment.
"Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious," the family's statement read. "In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival."
"But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict," the statement continued. "With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment. Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John's many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all."
McCain, a war hero, was first elected to the Senate in 1986, and through the years, he was known as the maverick, establishing a reputation as someone never afraid to voice his opinions. Just in the last year, for example, McCain voted against the Republican-led effort to repeal Obamacare, as CBS News reported, and has spoken out strongly against President Donald Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In addition to his wife, McCain is also survived by his five children, Sidney, 50, Meghan, 33, John, 32, James, 30, and Bridget, 27.
Meghan had especially been vocal about his cancer journey prior to his passing via social media, in interviews and on The Talk.
"It’s a really scary cancer. It’s a really, really scary cancer. My family’s no different than any other family who has experience with cancer," she said during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in February. "I guess I shouldn’t be surprised [he fought so long] because he is so resilient in so many different ways. He’s a tough bastard."
Following Saturday's tragic news, she also shared an emotional statement dedicated to her "beloved" dad:
The sad news comes after Hollywood has said goodbye to several public figures in recent months including Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade, Margot Kidder, Avicii, Barbara Bush, David Cassidy, Tom Petty, Hugh Hefner, and more.
For more on stars we have recently lost, watch below:
