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Former Reagan Aide John Kline Reflects On Nancy Reagan

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former first lady Nancy Reagan died Sunday morning of congestive heart failure.

She passed away at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 94.

When looking back on the life of Nancy Reagan, you can't ignore the man by her side.

"She was so important to President Reagan," said Minnesota Congressman John Kline.

Cameras constantly captured Nancy and Ronald Reagan's affection for each other, though a chosen few got to see this partnership away from the public stage.

"It was very, very sincere and very real," Kline said.

Kline had a front row seat to the president's life as Reagan's military aide.

"In that role, of course, the aide carries the black bag, the football, the nuclear codes," Kline said.

As the carrier of the "nuclear football," the job kept him close to the president which, in turn, meant the first lady.  Kline reflected on some of the time he spent with the Reagans over the years.

"We were at Camp David and the president and first lady would invite us down to there cabin to watch a movie and there you had a chance to literally sit four five feet away from the president and Mrs. Reagan," Congressman Kline said.  "She was always so gracious and a great hostess."

Kline saw Nancy as a source of strength for her husband.

"She made a difference. That closeness to her husband and to our country made a difference for our country; made it better," he said.

Minnesotans saw that devotion after the president's cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic in 1989.

Reagan raised the cap that covered his shaved head as he waved goodbye and Nancy lovingly tapped his head, reminding him to put it back on.

"It was so clear to everybody how close they were and how protective she was of him, of his legacy," he said.

It's why those who knew her may mourn her death, while also finding comfort knowing she's no longer alone.

"I'm certain that she missed him.  There's no doubt about that," Congressman Kline said.

Kline said he hadn't talked to the former first lady since President Reagan died in 2004 but did say he's admired her work to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.

Mrs. Reagan will be laid to rest next to her husband in Simi Valley but funeral arrangements haven't been released.

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