Former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter who was the wife of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 96.
She was diagnosed with dementia in May On Friday, her family announced she had entered hospice care at home, joining her 99-year-old husband in end-of-life treatment in the Plains residence they shared.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Jimmy Carter said in a statement released Sunday afternoon by the Carter Center.
“She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
According to the statement, Rosalynn died peacefully with her family by her side.
Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born in August 1927, in Plains, a small rural town of fewer than 600 people where her husband was also born and raised.
She founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers in 1987 and remained active in the organization into her later years.
“Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary first lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right. Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans.
“She will be sorely missed not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today.”
Former President George W Bush and his wife, Laura Bush lauded the former First Lady.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Carter was a “saintly and revered public servant” driven by faith, compassion, and kindness. “On the world stage, first lady Carter was a pioneer. Her historic, high-stakes diplomatic mission to Latin America in 1977 ushered in a new era of engagement in the region. Two years later, she became the first sitting first lady to address the World Health Organization, where she argued that mental health was an aspect of physical health – and that health is a human right,” Pelosi said in a statement.
The couple, who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in 2021, had four children, Jack, Chip, James, and Amy.
