LIVE: Funeral for former VP Dick Cheney

Former vice president Dick Cheney will be remembered Thursday at a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral.

BACKSTORY: Dick Cheney, a towering figure in American politics who served as vice president under George W. Bush and played a central role in reshaping US foreign and domestic policy in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, died at 84.

He died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to a statement from his family obtained by the Associated Press.

Cheney served father and son presidents, leading the armed forces as defense chief during the Persian Gulf War under President George H.W. Bush before returning to serve as vice president under Bush's son, George W. Bush.

Dick Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and later enrolled at the University of Wyoming. He served as White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford, was elected to Congress from Wyoming, and later served as secretary of defense under George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War.

After a stint as CEO of oil services giant Halliburton in the 1990s, Cheney returned to politics in 2000 as George W. Bush’s running mate. Though vice presidents often play supporting roles, Cheney became arguably the most influential vice president in US history — pushing policy from behind closed doors on everything from surveillance programs to war strategy.

Cheney later became a target of President Donald Trump after daughter Liz Cheney became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Trump's attempts to stay in power after his election defeat and his actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

FOX 4 News is a FOX-owned station serving Dallas-Fort Worth and all of North Texas.