On October 26, 2004, Rehnquist announced that he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He administered the oath of office to President George W. Bush at his second inauguration in January 2005, but the illness was apparently taking its toll on the chief justice. He was largely absent from the bench, but refused to resign. Rehnquist remained in office until his death on September 3, 2005. He was survived by his three children, James, Janet and Nancy. His wife Nan died in 1991.
Rehnquist was a lifelong Lutheran, and his funeral was attended by many politicians and judicial officials. Chief Justice John Roberts, a former Rehnquist clerk and Rehnquist's replacement on the court, served as one of the pallbearers. Sandra Day O'Connor and President George W. Bush were among the speakers at the service. Bush remarked, "In every chapter of his life, William Rehnquist stood apart for his powerful intellect and clear convictions."
In his 33 years on the Supreme Court, Rehnquist left his mark on the country's legal system. He was a man on a mission during his time as an associate justice, and as the chief justice he upheld his decidedly conservative views. A longtime critic of Rehnquist, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, described the late justice as "a man who made his career undermining the rights and liberties of American citizens," according to the Huffington Post website. John A. Jenkins, author of The Partisan: The Life of William Rehnquist, expressed a different take on Rehnquist's career. "Whatever you think of Rehnquist the man, you have to give him credit for sticking to an agenda, sticking to his guns and standing up for what he very passionately believed," Jenkins told CNN.
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301911.html
3. image: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9209570/ns/us_news-the_changing_court/t/bush-leads-national-farewell-rehnquist/
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