Ronald Reagan's former spokesman, Larry Speakes, has died at 74

President Ronald Reagan's former spokesman Larry Speakes passed away on Friday at the age of 74.

Cleveland Funeral Home owner Kenny Williams said Speakes passed away in his sleep while at home in Cleveland, Miss., reports Reuters. He was buried in North Cleveland Cemetery on Friday.

Speakes, who was with President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1987, was suffering from Alzheimer's disease before his passing.

According to BBC News, Speakes became Reagan's spokesman after press secretary James Brady was horribly injured following the attempt on the president's life in 1981.

After working for Reagan for six years, Speakes moved on and worked for Northern Telecom and the U.S. Postal Service in public relations. In 2008, he retired.

During his time with as Reagan's spokesman, he often said that the president's "relationship with the press corps was better than that of any other president since John F. Kennedy," reports Businessweek.

He also admitted in the book Speaking Out to trying to make President Reagan look better by giving the press corps fake quotes.

image: Amazon

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