Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was killed in a car accident, her family announced on Tuesday.
Chao died at the age of 50 in the accident, NBC News reported. No details about what happened were immediately available.
Angela Chao, the CEO of the dry bulk shipping company Foremost Group and the sister of former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, has died in a car accident, according to the company and her family. https://t.co/1sRnL8Co2J
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 14, 2024
Angela’s father, Chinese-American businessman James S.C. Chao, said his family was “heartbroken” to confirm her death.
“Angela’s name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity,” James Chow said in a statement.
“She certainly gave more than her share of both to this world,” he added. “Her absence leaves a void not only in our hearts, but in the Asian-American community.”
Angela Chao was the CEO of the shipping company Foremost Group, which her father founded.
Chao said his late daughter was “a wonderful and inquisitive companion” when he took her to his office in her youth during “Take Your Daughter to Work” days.
She would eventually run the company beginning in 2018.
“She kept us laughing and smiling,” Chao concluded. “She believed deeply that the true treasures in life are family, friends and helping others. Losing her at such a young age is something we never even imagined, and our entire family is devastated with grief.”
Neither McConnell nor his wife Elaine Chao had commented publicly on Angela’s death as of Wednesday morning.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a close ally of McConnell, issued a statement on the death:
Collins wrote:
“The passing of Angela Chao is a tragedy. An extraordinarily accomplished business leader and expert in the maritime industry, she also was generous with her time and talent to a number of philanthropic organizations.
“My heart goes out to Angela’s sister, former Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, and her brother-in-law, Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, as well as to her father, husband, and her other family members.”
Elaine Chao served as former President Donald Trump’s secretary of transportation from January 2017 to January 2021.
She previously worked for former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Elaine and McConnell married in 1993.
