Joseph 'Beau' Biden III Dies From Long-Battled Brain Cancer

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Vice President Joe Biden's son, Joseph "Beau" Biden III, died on Saturday from brain cancer. He was 46. Funeral details are still pending.

Beau Biden was the former attorney general of Delaware. According to Yahoo News, he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the last few days until his death.

He was diagnosed with brain cancer last August 2013 and had a small brain lesion surgery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Vice-president Biden released a statement in the wake of his son's death, saying: "It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life."

"The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words," he added, according to The Guardian. "We know that Beau's spirit will live on in all of us, especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter."

On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle visited the vice presidential residence in Washington to express their condolences to the Biden family, USA Today reports. The president also cancelled a scheduled reception at the White House.

Before their visit, the Obamas released a statement Saturday night honoring Joe Biden's son.

"Michelle and I are grieving. Beau Biden was a friend of ours. His beloved family ...are friends of ours. And Joe and Jill Biden are as good as friends get," Obama said in the statement.

"Joe is one of the strongest men we've ever known. He's as strong as they come, and nothing matters to him more than family. It's one of the things we love about him. And it is a testament to Joe and Jill - to who they are - that Beau lived a life that was full; a life that mattered; a life that reflected their reverence for family," the president added.

This is the second direct tragedy that has befallen the vice president's family. In 1972, he lost his first wife, Neilia, and their 13-month old daughter in a fatal car accident. Beau, 3, and Hunter, 2, survived the crash but were badly injured.

According to the Washington Post, this happened a few months after Joe Biden, who was 29 at the time, was first elected in the Senate.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed their grief and condolences over Beau's passing. Some of those who publicly conveyed their sympathies were Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and John Kerry.