The news was announced on Jan. 4 by Fred Ryan, chairman of the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. In an official statement, the organization said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss of a man who spent much of his life protecting and promoting his father’s legacy.
“Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” the statement read, calling him a “steadfast guardian” of his father’s work and beliefs.
The statement also referenced An American Life, in which President Reagan wrote movingly about his son. “When I read his book, I had even more of a fatherly pride in Mike than I had had before,” Reagan wrote, adding that Michael was “happy and at peace with himself.”
Andrew Coffin, director of the Reagan Ranch, confirmed that Michael Reagan died following a battle with cancer.
Michael’s wife, Colleen, and his daughters, Cameron Reagan and Ashley Reagan Dunster, shared a family statement through Newsmax anchor Katie Pavlich. “Michael was and will always remain a beloved husband, father, and grandpa,” the statement said. “Michael was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 4th, surrounded by his entire family in Los Angeles, California. Our hearts are deeply broken.”
Born John Charles Flaugher on March 18, 1945, in Los Angeles, Michael was the biological son of Essie Irene Flaugher and U.S. Army corporal John Bourgholtzer. He was later adopted by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, who were among Hollywood’s most powerful couples at the time. The two had met while filming the 1938 movie Brother Rat and went on to have two daughters, Maureen and Christine. Christine died a day after her birth in 1947.
After Wyman and Reagan divorced, Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis, and they had two children together, Patti and Ron Jr. Michael’s relationship with his siblings was often strained, and he publicly clashed with them over political and personal differences. Those tensions resurfaced after the publication of his memoir My Father at 100, in which he suggested his father may have shown early signs of Alzheimer’s disease while in office.
Michael Reagan briefly pursued an acting career in the 1980s, appearing on television shows including the CBS political soap Capitol and the primetime drama Falcon Crest, which starred Jane Wyman. He later shifted his focus to conservative media, hosting The Michael Reagan Show from 2000 to 2003 and working for years as a columnist for Newsmax.
He also authored several memoirs, including Twice Adopted in 2004 and Lessons My Father Taught Me in 2016, reflecting on his upbringing, faith, and relationship with his famous father.
Michael Reagan is remembered as a fiercely loyal son, a conservative commentator, and a man who devoted much of his life to preserving and defending the legacy of one of America’s most iconic presidents.
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