Former Bush Spokesman Tony Snow Dies at 53

July 12, 2008 — -- Tony Snow, a conservative political commentator who seemed to relish his brief stint as President Bush's White House press secretary, died in Washington, D.C., on Saturday of colon cancer at the age of 53.

"America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character," President Bush said in a statement from Camp David, where he was spending the weekend. "It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work."

Bush said his family's thoughts and prayers are with Snow's wife, Jill, and their three children.

White House aides told ABC News that the president tried to phone Snow last month but Snow was unable to speak to him. It was a sign of how Snow's condition was deteriorating.

The former Bush spokesman had been hospitalized for several weeks, telling friends he was having difficulty recovering from an intestinal problem. He and his wife, Jill, were upbeat and gracious with friends and reporters who called to check on him.

"For those of us battling cancer, he was beyond inspirational," said ABC News' Robin Roberts, who is a breast cancer survivor. "We are deeply saddened by his passing but will not forget his valiant fight.

"I also had the privilege of interviewing Tony in his office on his last day at the White House. He talked movingly about his cancer, his family, and was quite emotional at times," Roberts said.

As press secretary, Snow almost always wore a yellow "Live Strong" Lance Armstrong bracelet with his suit at the White House podium. As a former newsman himself, he charmed the White House press corps and was widely liked by reporters.

Snow's last on-camera White House briefing was Sept 12, 2007, when he said, "You know, everybody talks about what a horrible job it is to brief the press. I love these briefings and I'm really going to miss them."

Snow served as White House press secretary for 17 months, but left the White House podium shortly after being diagnosed with a reoccurence of cancer.