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How Did Tony Rodham Die? New Details On Hillary Clinton's Brother And His Death At 65

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How Did Tony Rodham Die? New Details On Hillary Clinton's Brother And His Death At 65

Losing a loved one is never an easy thing to experience. Even if you've lost someone before, when another loss hits it's like you have to relearn how to grieve all over again. The only comfort in times of loss is knowing that even the people who haven't been where you are just yet, will be where you are one day. That's just the nature of the world. 

Even bigwig politicans and celebrities aren't immune to loss. There are some things that money, power, and fame can't even come close to buying. Hillary Rodham Clinton recently announced the death of her brother, Tony Rodham. Let's look back on their connection and how the public will remember Tony, who was one point in the center of the political firestorm surrounding the Clinton administration. How did Tony Rodham die?

1. Tony Rodham 

It's strange to stop and think about the politicans we see on the news or read about in the newspaper every day, I mean really think. We know objectively that they are real human beings with lives and loves and losses and triumphs outside of the political sector, but even when they're running for office and trying to share more about who they are, it's hard to remember that they are people like you and me sometimes.

Hillary Clinton is a woman for whom this has long been a problem. sure, Hillary will always have her devoted fans (whatup, I still have a sticker from her campaign on my laptop) but many people over the years have spoken about her being cold and removed. That was not the case when she broke the news of her youngest brother, Tony Rodham, passing away at the age of 65.

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2. Hillary Speaks

Opting to be personal and real even in her moment of great tragedy, it was Hillary who broke the news of her brother's passing to the general public. "We lost my brother Tony last night. It's hard to find words, my mind is flooded with memories of him today," she tweeted. "When he walked into a room he'd light it up with laughter," she added sadly. 

It's hard to think about stuff like who was older and who was younger when you get to be older, but Hillary at 71, was Tony's big sister, and losing him has to have come as unexpected blow. Thankfully, she seems to be taking it in stride. She described her late brother as "kind" and "generous" before adding: "We'll miss him very much."

3. His Family

Currently, the cause of Tony's death is not known, or at least, it has not been disclosed to the public. Ultimately, how he died pales in comparison with remembering how the man lived, and all of the family he leaves behind him. As we all know, at the end of the day, those are the things that truly define a man's legacy.

In addition to being remembered by his big sister, Hillary Clinton, Tony will be survived by the Rodham middle child, and Tony's older brother Hugh. Additionally he leaves behind his wife, Meghan and their two kids, Simon and Fiona, as well as his son Zach from his first marriage former Senator Barbara Boxer's daughter Nicole, so there's some interesting trivia. 

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4. The Clintons 

While many different members of Hillary's family supported her during her campaign, it was her brother Tony who supported her the most during her run for the Presidency, appearing with her on the campaign trail at several stops in Pennsylvania, a state that her team was working desperately to win in the final weeks leading up to the election. That's not the only way he's been involved with the Clintons and their politics, either. In 2000 when Bill Clinton was still president, it was Tony who fought on behalf of couple accused of bank fraud, requesting that Clinton pardon them for their offenses. Awkwardly, he did so because this couple were former clients who had paid him upwards of $245,000 over the years. This kind of behavior didn't earn him very many friends in Washington when it came out. 

5. His Career

In addition to his job as a "consultant" which put him in the fire of the press, Tony also worked as a prison guard, a private dectective, and as an insurance salesman.But that didn't mean he turned his back on politics. If anything, it was the opposite. Tony coordinated "constituency outreach" for the DNC. Tony knew just how helpful and just how much of a hindrance his Clinton connection could be. "It can go both ways," said Tony about working with the Clintons. "There's some wonderful things that have happened to me because of my relationship with Hillary and Bill, and there's been some really terrible things that have happened to me."

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Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.