On Growing Up in the Bush Family
Sharon Bush
Her Extraordinary Life
By Bennett Marcus
A Life of Giving Back
Sharon Bush, a force in the New York philanthropic world, has had a whirlwind life. She went from a middle-class upbringing in upstate New York and New Hampshire to becoming an elementary school teacher to marrying Neil Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush Sr. and brother of former President George W. Bush. Sharon remarried in 2019, to financier Robert Murray.
Museum of Democracy
Sharon used her position in the powerful Bush political dynasty to do good, lending her efforts to charitable causes, including Teddy Share, which benefits children worldwide, and Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School, which prepares disadvantaged students for college, with tuition fully underwritten. She was a founder and 7-year board member of KIPP Academy, a public charter school that helps underprivileged children get into college. They now have more than 200 locations nationwide. She also founded the Karitas Foundation and is currently director of community affairs for the Museum of Democracy, a bipartisan collection of political memorabilia that has recently partnered with the Roosevelt Foundation and Long Island University. In 2021, she received the Emerald Award from the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida for her exemplary leadership and serving as an outstanding role model for young women in the community.
Dark & Happy Times
Her acrimonious 2003 divorce from Neil Bush after 23 years of marriage received national attention from the likes of Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, CNN, and more. “It was a messy divorce,” she says. “My husband’s decision to divorce me was unquestionably a surprise. He was away on business at the time and emailed me to announce the split and made reference to the difficult financial situation ahead. I had no choice but to move forward. I had three young children and had a driving force to be happy. At the advice of a friend, I moved to New York City and just started over.”
Despite this unexpected turn of events, both emotionally and financially, Sharon did not let this difficult period get in the way of her concern for those less fortunate. “Giving back has always been a part of my life’s work, as a teacher and as a role model to my girls and my son. My mission has never wavered, even when I experienced the most difficult times in my life. It was so important to me that my children know that those less fortunate really needed us, and I needed to smile through my own pain in order to bring light and levity to those who were suffering. Keeping the faith definitely got me through the dark times.”
Mother of the Year
Now, happier times are here for Sharon and her family. In a wonderful ceremony officiated by pastor Joel Osteen, with whom she has a close relationship, Sharon married Robert Murray in front of family and close friends in 2019, at Central Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. “Bob is such a wonderful man with a really close-knit family. Our children all get along. The grandchildren all get along,” she says, beaming. The extended families spent this past Christmas together at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. “We had so much fun, with so many laughs, and it feels wonderful to be in a place with unconditional love and support.”
She is most proud of her three children, daughters Lauren, a former fashion model and founder of anti-hunger charity Feed, and Ashley, a writer and producer for film and TV, both of whom are profiled in this issue. Son Pierce is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Texas. “I knew that at an early age, I needed to teach them about compassion and helping others,” Sharon says. “I took them to homeless shelters, to organizations devoted to helping women, to children’s hospitals. We were involved, helping serve holiday meals at soup kitchens and shelters. They saw first-hand through this work how important it was to me for them to give back to those in need.”
Sharon’s child-rearing efforts have frequently been recognized. She received the Outstanding Mother Award from the National Mother’s Day Committee and was named Mother of the Year at Hale House. “You only have one chance at raising children and showing them a good example. As Jackie Kennedy said, if you bungle up on raising your children, you haven’t done anything well, and that, to me, was always the most important thing in my life.” With such an extraordinary life path, from middle-class childhood to Christmases in the White House as a member of one of America’s most prominent political dynasties, Bush regaled us with remarkable tales of what it’s like living in the spotlight of power. Here we’ve shared just a few.
The Upsides & Downsides of Having Secret Service
“The children got used to it. And we would make cookies for them to eat, as they’d stay outside the house. So, we’d become friends with them and kind of try to make them part of the family, when we could. They’d go on trips with us, go skiing with us. And I remember them running into me skiing, knocking me down, and I was in bed for several days. Because they couldn’t really ski, but they had to try to keep up with us. And then, of course, when the kids got older, it actually helped because I could just call the Secret Service and say, ‘Okay. Where are they now? Can you tell me?’ So, it was very helpful then.”
Having Doors Slammed in Your Face While Campaigning
“People either liked you or they didn’t; sometimes, they let us know right away, by slamming the door in our faces.” She laughed. “You just never knew, but that’s part of the game of campaigning. But now it would be so much worse. I mean, it’s really gotten divisive. But we had fun with it. I always looked at it as a really great experience, meeting new people and understanding who they were and their way of life.”
Barbara Bush Schooled President Reagan on How To Eat
Sharon was sitting with Ronald Reagan at his post-inauguration White House buffet luncheon, and Barbara Bush came over and critiqued the president’s handling of a tartufo ball, which has a hard chocolate shell and is difficult to cut. “She started telling the president how to use his utensils and how to cut it, and he had just been inaugurated president. He handled it so well. I was just in shock, but that’s how she was.”
George Senior & a Yacht in Kennebunkport
The Bushes were invited to watch July 4th fireworks aboard a privately owned yacht making its way to Boston for a tall ships parade, when the boat suddenly started rocking and shaking. They had hit some rocks. The boat was equipped with instruments indicating depth and location of the rocks. “My father-in-law was directing the captain, saying, ‘I know these waters. You can go there.’ And the captain said, ‘No, I can see it’s not a good place,’ but who argues with the ex-president? So, he hit rocks, and we were jolted and had to jump off the boat into the tenders. We watched the boat getting towed away, and it tipped onto its side, so it struck a hole. We ended up having pizza at home for dinner that night.”
Magical White House Christmases
“I remember the children playing hide-and-seek with all the Christmas trees; they counted something like 22 Christmas trees, decorated beautifully, around the White House. And we’d go down to the basement. That’s where everything happens at the White House, where the flower shop was, and the chefs. They always had cookies for the children. And the staff loved all the activity after the Reagans, because the Reagans didn’t have their grandchildren there.”
Ghosts in the Lincoln Bedroom
“I remember sleeping in The Lincoln Bedroom; one of the original signed Gettysburg Addresses is in there. There was always talk of a ghost in The Lincoln Room, and I would stay up all night, hoping I would see something, which I never did.” Sharonbush.org
Ashley Works as a Writer/Producer for Film & TV
The children of this issue’s cover star, Sharon Bush—Ashley, Lauren, and Pierce—have an unusually close relationship. The siblings grew up in the spotlight. Their father, Sharon’s ex-husband, Neil Bush, is the brother of former President George W. Bush, and son of former President George H.W. Bush.
In fact, Lauren officiated at sister, Ashley’s, 2019 wedding to Julian Lefevre. “Beyond joyful for my beautiful and loving sister, Ash, and her new hubby, Jules! It was an honor of a lifetime to get to officiate their ceremony yesterday,” Lauren posted on Instagram at the time.
Lauren, whose husband is David Lauren, son of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, surprised the newlyweds with a performance by Jon Batiste singing the couple’s signature song, “What a Wonderful World,” at the wedding party . “It was so magical, incredible,” Ashley tells Park.
“When Jon was starting out in New York, we’d always go hear him play at some cool bar, and he would lead these parades around the block,” she says. “It was this insane, wild feeling that you’re all dancing on the streets of New York, and he’s leading this band. So we had really great memories with Jon and the Stay Human Band.”
The couple got to know him in those days before his career exploded. Batiste and his band later spent seven seasons as the in-house musicians for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Kennebunkport “Summer White House” A Port In the Storm
Even after her parents’ contentious divorce in 2003, the extended Bush family remains close. Ashley’s cousins Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, and their father, W, all attended her wedding.
They still gather every summer at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, even after George Sr. and Barbara passed away in 2018. “The great thing is, life would change around you—my parents got divorced, I went off to college—but there was always this central place in Maine where you would come, and everything’s kind of the same,” says Ashley, a writer and producer for film and TV who lives in Los Angeles.
George Sr. Never Forgot Fallen WW II Airmen
Ashley still misses her late grandparents. “My grandfather was just so humble and kind and thoughtful. I asked some questions as he got older, reflecting on his life, and he still thought about when he was in the war and his fellow plane mates died in front of him,” she says, becoming emotional while recalling this. “It haunted him every day, and he got teary-eyed. He was a really emotional, in-tune kind of guy.”
America’s Grandmother Couldn’t Cook, but she was Big on Reading
We may have pictured the Bush family matriarch, Barbara, affectionately known as “America’s Grandmother,” baking cookies, but her actual granddaughter set the record straight. “She couldn’t really cook,” Ashley says. “But she was very big on reading.” Every summer, the children had to update Barbara on what they’d been reading. “It scared me if I didn’t do my summer reading.” She laughed, adding, “She wanted to make sure we were actively engaging our minds in that way.” She also loved journaling, and she encouraged Ashley to keep a journal, which she does to this day.
Barnard, USC, Anderson Cooper, Cary Fukunaga
Born in Denver, raised in Houston, Texas, Ashley attended Barnard College in New York, majoring in journalism. She later studied film at USC. After graduating she worked for Anderson Cooper at his daytime talk show, which ran for two seasons. Working with director Cary Fukunaga in Africa on the film Beasts of No Nation proved to be quite an adventure, trekking through the Ghanaian jungle, whacking the brush with machetes and coming down with malaria. However, the experience cemented her love of filmmaking, spurring her to enroll at USC for her MFA.
Film Festival Award, Nick Bilton, Projects in Development
Her documentary The Queen’s New Clothes won the audience award at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2019. It chronicles the life of Winn Morton, the gay costume designer who turned the pageant into something “magical and sparkly and fantastical,” in a conservative town.
With the journalist Nick Bilton, Ashley is producing two projects about the social media app Twitter for Netflix. Yes, the projects were in the works before the Elon Musk era, but the timing is certainly opportune. She’s also developing a scripted series about young women working in politics in DC, and she has been working on a project with her husband, a scriptwriter.
Lauren Bush Lauren
By Julie S.
Produced by R. Couri Hay
FEED
She might have a name that embodies both political and fashion royalty, but Lauren Bush Lauren, a former model, is most proud to be considered a model mom, wife, and philanthropist through her popular FEED bag designs, which have fed millions of underprivileged children around the world.
The oldest of three children, Lauren was born in Colorado, where she lived until the family moved to Houston when she was around seven years old. Though she would eventually identify as a Texan, this outdoorsy free spirit always remained connected to her Rockies roots and would visit frequently throughout her childhood. This shared passion and love for the West was also part of the eventual love story of Lauren and her husband, David, who also grew up frequenting and appreciating the vast beauty of the area. The two even tied the knot in their special place in the Rockies.
President George H. W. Bush was Lauren’s Grandfather
While many kids can relate to the challenges of moving to a new city and school, relocating while the Secret Service is tailing along is something most of us will not have to deal with. “We had moved to Texas while my grandfather was president, but I was still so young, so it didn’t fully register at the time that my grandfather’s job was different. I didn’t comprehend the enormity of it all, but you pick up on social cues and how friends are treating you. Kids get over that stuff more quickly than adults do, so the fact that I didn’t grasp the meaning and importance of his role until after he was out of office probably made it easier for me.”
What she remembers more than the stately and historic aspects of the country’s most famous address, is being one of 14 cousins running around a big house and sliding down the banister. She even had a birthday pool party at the ‘big white house.’ “We would all pick at the Christmastime gingerbread house every year until the house chef started making cookies for us, which he would hide behind the house he made so that we wouldn’t ruin his work of art. The staff was always so nice, and the butlers and ushers were amazing with us and had been through many administrations. I’m sure they have seen a lot in their day and were always so warm and welcoming. I mean, I might have slept in the Lincoln Bedroom one night, but to us, it was just like going to our grandparents’ house, and this is where they happened to live.”
Creating New Traditions Through Philanthropy
To relive that special time, she took her now seven-year-old son, James, for an Easter Egg Roll when Obama was in office, when he was around one or two years old. They left with plenty of pictures to show him as he grows older. Being able to pass on some of her own childhood memories while creating new traditions has been one of Lauren’s favorite things to experience as a mom.
Though she found her own unique way to help others by founding FEED, Lauren was inspired by her philanthropic family’s efforts throughout her life. “Mom took us to soup kitchens and homeless shelters and had a charity when I was little called the Karitas Foundation that helped homeless women and abused children, so I got to be a part of going to some of the women’s shelters. There was this universal connection when playing games with these kids living in the shelter, and it was really impactful to understand that they’re in this shelter because of the circumstances they were born into. It was shocking to be presented with realities that were so different from my own everyday reality, and I realized how lucky I was to never have to worry about food or shelter and to have access to education. My mom also helped to give grants, and I watched her working in terms of raising money and throwing fundraisers, and I am just really grateful for that exposure. I think it was an early influence for me and what started me down the path I’m on now with FEED.”
The mother of three boys, aged seven, four, and one, Lauren is now leading by example when it comes to educating her children on the realities of the world and how they can make a difference in their own way. She currently serves on the local board of the Food Bank of New York City and has taken the boys to various volunteer opportunities around the city. She is also involved in the service learning projects that their school partakes in.
“The amount of love and energy you put into your kids to know that they are happy and heathy and thriving and eating enough just gives you even more empathy when you travel and visit certain global communities. It’s also important for kids to know that they can make a difference because even though world issues are massive and overwhelming, we can all feel empowered to make someone’s life a little easier. It doesn’t have to be through big gestures or donations, and I just want my kids to realize that we are lucky, so let’s give back. Anyone is able to host a FEED dinner, and we have had some amazing and creative moms step up to make it kid-friendly and engaging.”
She might look like a model right out of a Ralph Lauren ad, but Lauren has found her place on the creative side of the fashion world these days. She does, however, still credit her early modeling days with exposing her to the fashion industry and getting to work in photography, which she studied in school. “My modeling story was all a fluke. I was visiting New York with mom for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and our family friends introduced us to their friend who worked at a modeling agency, and one thing led to another. I started modeling part time during school but pulled back when I realized it was time to get on a real career path. I am definitely grateful for the experience, which exposed me to the place I live and love.”
Interned at the TV Show Friends
She even rubbed elbows with the cast of Friends during a high school internship, where she wound up having a cameo appearance, but would soon find a way to embark on her true passions: sustainability, fashion with philanthropy.
UN Food Program to FEED Bag
It was when she began studying anthropology at Princeton that this future giving-back-focused FEED bag founder realized she was able to combine her love of travel and studying different cultures and ways of living and values with her passion for fashion. This became even more pronounced when she was given the opportunity to travel with the UN World Food Program, which really set her on the path to starting FEED so that she could support their great work. “On the one hand, I was studying, and I also had the opportunity to travel and get that on-the-ground exposure. Between my junior and senior year, I was able to get funding, so I spent most of the summer in Africa doing research and taking pictures, and it was also an educational experience, so anthropology pairs nicely with that.” Determined to make a difference, Lauren had the FEED bag prototype by the time she graduated, and through that was able to go out and raise money for the UN Food Program in 62 of the poorest countries around the globe. In addition to feeding kids nutritious meals, it also encourages and incentivizes them to go to school. Because of FEED, kids in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are getting a healthy meal and an education for their future.
“I wanted to create a way for other young people to give back, and world hunger is a massive issue. There are 800 million people around the world who are hungry, and 9 million children in the US alone live in food-insecure households. When visiting these families and communities I couldn’t help but leave thinking, What can I do to help? What I thought of was turning the consumer into the donor. Now, they can wear their values and support something where they know where their money is going and what it’s doing.” She officially started the company a year later, and fast-forward to today, 15 years after the launch, FEED is still going strong, with 126 million meals served and counting. FEED was also started in the early days of doing commerce for good. “We’re a brand anchored around social give back and social issues, and I’m so proud that we are 15 years in and are still around and making school meals and raising awareness around hunger.” With a mission to be both functional and feed others, the initial FEED bag was mostly inspired by the bags of grain and rice she saw being distributed to kids in schools globally. Lauren also likes the utilitarian aesthetic, which is why even the feed logo has an older, industrial look.
Commerce for Good
This commerce-for-good concept was almost avant-garde back then, as the FEED bag was around even before Toms was giving away shoes. This for-profit business model also measures giving in terms of meals. Lauren says that she is really glad to see that commerce has evolved to a point where it’s expected of brands and companies to have a purpose and give back.
“I went into FEED saying our main mode of raising money is a brand because I really love fashion and design and had the passion and curiosity to pursue it. FEED was really this ‘aha’ moment of realizing I can combine this desire to be a designer and entrepreneur but with a real vehicle to give back to kids who don’t get to have a meal in school. One of my greatest joys is seeing how other companies have stepped up and are doing so much for the community, so we are no longer an anomaly like we were when we started. Each bag we make has a number, which signifies the amount of meals we are able to donate through the sale of that product. We know how to solve hunger, and there’s a cost to that meal. The highest level of giving is a bag that feeds one child in school for a year, while the rest also provide the price equivalent to the meals.”
Though the price of a meal varies depending on where they are giving, the global average of a meal is 15 cents. FEED also works with the best-in-class partners and organizations who are on the ground serving the meals. This extends to the UN World Food Programme, where Lauren’s whole journey started, as well as No Kid Hungry, their American partner, and also an Indian-based partner. These are their three main giving partners.
Leading by Example
Lauren also explains how her family, including her grandparents, inspired her by leading by example, something that left a strong impression, evidenced by the fact that her siblings and her cousins have found their own paths to lead a life of service. “Doing something that helps others beyond you is a good path to choose, and I’m lucky I had those examples to learn from.” Another person she considers to be a role model is longtime family friend Bill Clinton, who even came out to support her when he spoke at a Clarins event she was a part of at Lincoln Center, which helped to raise an incredible amount of meals. It was a humbling and meaningful moment, especially when he referred to Lauren as being ‘the real deal.’
Summer White House: Kennebunkport, Maine
She also recalls some of her earliest memories in what she still refers to as her happy place, the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. “Barbara was keeper of the rules, so you definitely didn’t want to leave towels out or a bike thrown on the lawn. Literacy was her big cause, so for one hour each day we would all come in her room with our books and do our summer reading. She was always very funny and loving, but you didn’t mess with her! The summers were a big task with such a big family coming and going, and we have always been very active and competitive, whether it was playing tennis or now a pickleball match or swimming. We would basically move there in the summer and felt super lucky to have this cool escape from Texas. We would even drive our boats to town, and as a kid, it was so great having that freedom and was also pretty unique and special. It was really like a camp environment. We all return every summer, and it’s so wonderful to have those old and new memories.”
Though she might be a Texan, the always inquisitive and forward-thinking Lauren, traits that have led her to help solve world hunger in the most stylish way possible, became a vegetarian at the age of four or five once she realized that animals had a face and put together that meat came from animals. While her mom thought she would grow out of this phase, she continues to choose not to eat meat and appreciates all the plant-based options out there these days. She also had a chance to hone her cooking skills during Covid and enjoys a good curry or soup. Her husband and kids are indeed fans of her healthy dishes, but they haven’t given up on hamburgers just yet.
Lauren Met Her Husband at The Met Gala
With a match made in Met Gala heaven, which led to a rustic chic wedding tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, Lauren and her husband, David, have now been married for almost 12 years and continue to go back to the glitzy gala every year as an anniversary of their initial meeting. After they met while leaving the Met and having David’s sister, Dylan, as a point of reference due to Lauren’s friendship with the candy entrepreneur, Dylan helped arrange a group dinner that helped to further solidify a friendship that progressed to a seven-year courtship. When he finally proposed in 2011, David transformed the Met into a side gallery showcasing true masterpieces—photos of them together over the years.
The wedding took place at the Ralph Lauren ranch with 200 guests in attendance. Wearing blue socks under cowboy boots, Lauren got to be totally herself, and in true Ralph Lauren style, no detail was spared for the magical occasion. The dress is now in the Ralph Lauren archive.
While over the last 15 years FEED has partnered with brands and retailers including Williams-Sonoma, Ralph Lauren, Judith Leiber, National Geographic, and many others, and even evolved to other products, such as home collections with items related to food as well as candles and scarves, Lauren is already looking forward to more ways to feed the bodies as well as souls of others around the world. feedprojects.com
Instagram: laurenblauren
