William Henry Trotter Bush

William H.T. “Bucky” Bush, the youngest brother of former U.S. President George Bush and a prominent St. Louis businessman, died in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 79.

Mr. Bush was co-founder and chairman of Clayton-based Bush O’Donnell Investment Advisors Inc. He also was a member of the board of directors at Maritz Inc., and was the former chairman of the board at St. Louis University, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Muny.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush confirmed Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that his uncle had died. He did not describe the cause.

James O’Donnell, president of Bush O’Donnell, said he first met Mr. Bush 30 years ago just before they started the business together.

“Buck was a natural leader, and sought out by universities, civic organizations, and major banks and corporations for his insights,” he said. “He gave unselfishly of his time and money to make our community a better place for everyone.”

Also the uncle of President George W. Bush, Mr. Bush was active in Republican politics. When he chaired his nephew’s presidential re-election campaign in Missouri, he said he used to baby-sit the 43rd president of the United States.

Chairman Todd Graves of the Missouri Republican Party offered his condolences to the Bush family, tweeting that “Bucky Bush was a strong leader and champion for the state of Missouri.”