Columnist William Safire dies at age of 79

Longtime political columnist and Nixon speechwriter William Safire has passed away at the age of 79, the New York Times reported on Sunday afternoon. 

Safire died at a hospice in Rockville, Md., after suffering from pancreatic cancer, spokeswoman Diane McNulty said.

Safire, who began his career as a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon, penned a column in the New York Times and wrote the Times Magazine's "On Language" column each week. A noted etymology buff, Safire retired as a full-time columnist in 2005. 

In 2006, President George W. Bush awarded Safire the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Safire received the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1978.