Colin Powell, the first black U.S. secretary of state and top military officer, died on Monday at the age of 84 from COVID-19 complications, his family said in a statement.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American," the Powell family said in a Facebook post, noting that he was fully vaccinated.

Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2001, he was confirmed unanimously as secretary of state under President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking black public official to date in the country.

Powell also served in the U.S. Army for more than three decades, attaining the rank of general. The professional soldier oversaw some of the most notable U.S. military actions under both Bush administrations during his tenures.

His reputation suffered a major setback in 2003, when Powell made the case before the UN Security Council for the U.S.-led war against Iraq, claiming that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. 

Although no such weapons were ever found, Powell consistently defended his support of the Iraq War.

The long-time Republican supported democratic candidates Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020 over Donald Trump. He left the Republican party after the January 6 riot on the Capitol.

Former President George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush were "deeply saddened" by Powell's death.

(With input from AP. Cover photo: Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. /CFP)