Nancy Kissinger, the widow of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, died Thursday at her home in South Kent, Conn., according to reports. She was 92.
The New York Times first reported her death, citing an announcement from her family.
“Nancy Kissinger was a powerhouse of ideas and insights that she put to work throughout her life in government and philanthropy – and as Henry’s most valued and trusted advisor,” former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg wrote on X.
“She was the ultimate diplomat – as wise as she was discreet – and I know how completely Henry admired and loved her,” Bloomberg added. “Diana and I were fortunate to call her a dear friend, and to see their extraordinary partnership in action over the decades.”
“We will miss her greatly.”
Although she never held an official US diplomatic post, Kissinger was often at Henry Kissinger’s side on overseas missions, including trips to Russia, the Middle East and other regions, and appeared with him in photographs alongside some of the world’s most influential leaders.
The Kissingers, who did not have children together, were longtime presences at state dinners, embassy gatherings and White House receptions during Republican administrations.
Nancy Kissinger was also known as a staunch defender of her husband.
In one famous 1982 incident at Newark Liberty International Airport, Kissinger allegedly grabbed a heckler accosting her husband by the throat and warned, “Do you want to get slugged.”
A judge later acquitted Kissinger of a misdemeanor assault charge, ruling her action “was a spontaneous, somewhat human reaction to an offensive statement, as well as concern for her husband’s condition.”
The couple had been traveling to Boston, where her husband was scheduled to have heart surgery, when the incident occurred.
Standing nearly 6 feet tall, Kissinger towered over her husband and many world leaders.
Chinese dictator Mao Zedong marveled at her height during a 1975 meeting in Zhongnanhai, footage of which has gone viral in recent years.
The Kissingers married in 1974, when Henry was secretary of state and Nancy was a foreign policy adviser to former New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, who introduced the couple.
Kissinger, born Nancy Sharon Maginnes in Manhattan in 1934, is survived by her two stepchildren and five step-grandchildren.
Her husband, who served under the Nixon and Ford administrations, died in November of 2023 at the age of 100.
