Former White House butler who worked for 11 presidents dies of coronavirus

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Former White House chief Wilson Roosevelt Jerman passed away on May 16.

(CNN) - Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, a former White House butler who worked for 11 American presidents, died of the coronavirus. He was 91 years old.

Her granddaughter Shanta Taylor Gay told CNN Thursday that Jerman passed away on May 16.

"It was authentic. He was a calm but firm man. Very generous, he never got nervous or complained. He always said he lived a blessed life, ”he said in an interview.

Gay said the family is "taking over (mourning) day by day" after his grandfather's death.

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman in dialogue with then First Lady Hillary Clinton.

FOX 5 DC was the first outlet to report Jerman's death.

The longtime employee began working at the White House in 1957 under then President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a cleaner. He was promoted to butler during the administration of former President John F. Kennedy, in a movement orchestrated by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, another of his granddaughters, Jamila Garrett, told FOX 5.

"Jackie O actually promoted him to butler because of their relationship," Garrett said. "She was instrumental in making sure that happened," he explained.

Gay said Jerman initially retired from the White House in 1997, but returned in 2003. He finally retired in 2012, when he was chief of staff under the government of then-President Barack Obama.

The granddaughter explained to CNN that her grandfather had a stroke in 2011 and the Obamas helped make sure he was cared for while he was in the hospital, including sending flowers. At the end of his career, Obama honored Jerman for his more than 50 years of service with a plaque and a coin to represent each president he served.

A photo of Jerman in an elevator alongside Barack and Michelle Obama was included in the memoirs of the former first lady, Becoming .

The historic butler with Barack and Michelle Obama.

"Growing up, I never talked about politics," Gay said. "And he was never tried by Republicans or Democrats. It was about people, independently, and what can be learned from people, ”he added.

Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush and host of the NBC Today with Hoda & Jenna show, honored Jerman on Thursday at the start of the show. She said that she was one of the reasons the White House felt like home.

"The reason he felt like home was because of people like him," he said. "We love him and he was loved by my family, and he will be greatly missed," he added.

He also shared a statement from his parents, who remember Jerman as "a charming man."

"He was the first person we saw in the morning when we left the residence and every night when we returned," said the Bush couple.

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman with George W. Bush and his wife, Laura.

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