Former US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill died Saturday after battling lung cancer. He was 84.
O’Neill died at his Pittsburgh home, his son, Paul O’Neill Jr. confirmed to the Associated Press.
“There was some family here and he died peacefully,” the son said. “Based on his situation, it was a good exit.”
O’Neill, who had headed aluminum giant Alcoa, was Treasury secretary from 2001 to late 2002 under President George W. Bush. He was forced out after he objected to a second round of tax cuts because of their impact on deficits and later wrote a book critical of the Bush Administration.
Current Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted his condolences Saturday saying O’Neill served “America with distinction during challenging times.”
After leaving the White House, O’Neill worked with the Pittsburgh Regional Health Care Initiative which was studying ways to improve health care in Western Pennsylvania.
In addition to his son, O’Neill is survived by his wife, three other children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.