Michael Deaver, Reagan confidante, dies

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Michael Deaver, who helped shape President Ronald Reagan’s image and rescue Nancy Reagan’s, died Saturday at his home in Maryland.

Deaver was 69 and had pancreatic cancer, the Los Angeles Times reported.

While Deaver began his career as a political aide to U.S. Sen. George Murphy and became a consultant, he is best known for his close ties to Reagan. He began working for Reagan when he was governor of California and remained on the payroll through his first term as president.

"My obit will probably say, 'Close Reagan Aide Dies,' " he told the Times in a 1982 interview. "That doesn't bother me a bit. That's my life. That's probably my greatest achievement."

One of his greatest achievements was arranging visual backdrops for Reagan, such as the view of the Normandy cliffs that framed his speech on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. He helped Nancy Reagan by creating a skit in which she mocked her own spending habits at a Washington Gridiron Dinner.

After leaving the White House, Deaver was convicted of perjury following an investigation into influence peddling and sentenced to community service.

In a statement, Nancy Reagan said described Deaver as "the closest of friends to both Ronnie and me in many ways" and said he was “like a son to Ronnie.”