Rosalynn Carter, the wife of 39th U.S. President Jimmy Carter, died Sunday at her family home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 96, the Carter Center announced.
“Rosalynn was my full partner in everything I accomplished” Jimmy Carter, 99, said in a statement. “She gave me great advice and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in this world, I always knew someone loved and supported me.
The former first lady was diagnosed with dementia in May. The Carter Center revealed Friday that she had entered hospice care. Her husband has been receiving palliative care at home since February.
Eleanor Rosalynn Carter was born August 18, 1927 in Plains, Georgia. She married Jimmy Carter in 1946, when she was 18 and he was 21. Her husband became governor of Georgia and served as president from 1977 to 1981.
The first lady was known as a humanitarian and mental health advocate. She was known as “Steel Magnolia” by the press, who credited her with being the force behind her husband’s political career.
In a 2015 interview, Carter called his wife ” the maximum “ of his life, saying, “The best thing I ever did was marry Rosalyn.”
First Lady Jill Biden honored Carter at an event in Virginia on Sunday, praising her for “her efforts in mental health, caregiving and women’s rights. » President Joe Biden also said that she “brought so much grace to the office.”
Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush also offered their condolences to Carter’s family, saying Rosalynn was “a dignified and strong woman”.
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