Edward Nixon, brother of US president Richard Nixon, dies at 88

Edward Nixon, the youngest brother of former US president Richard Nixon, has died. He was 88.

The Richard Nixon Foundation in Yorba Linda, California, announced that he died Wednesday at a nursing facility in Bothell, Washington, a Seattle suburb.

A geologist and Navy Veteran, Edward Nixon worked on his brother's 1968 and 1972 White House campaigns and served as co-chairman of the Nixon re-election committee in 1972.

In a statement released by the foundation, Richard Nixon’s daughters, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, called their uncle “our family’s rock” since the former president died in 1994.

Edward Nixon was the fifth and youngest son of Frank and Hannah Nixon and had been the last surviving brother of the former president.

On November 15, 2018, Edward Nixon, and his nephew, Donald Nixon, attended a special dinner commemorating the 40th anniversary of the US and China establishing diplomatic relations that were hosted by the Nixon Foundation. President Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to China was the key step in normalizing relations between the two countries.

At the event, Edward Nixon made a toast in honor of the younger generation.

"Why don't we propose a toast to our children, worldwide. They have to pick up the mistakes that we make, and make it better," he said.

When asked about his thoughts on the 40-year relationship between US and China, he said that there should be more exchanges and communication between the two countries.

"It's just the beginning, we've just started, but the kids got to learn something, teach them, everything," he said. "Bring them here to learn. We should go over there and learn and listen. Nobody talks until you hear everything."