Former American first lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter (1977–1981), died at the age of 96 at her home in Georgia, the couple’s nonprofit organization announced.
“Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, a passionate advocate for mental health, nursing, and women’s rights, died on Sunday, November 19, at 2:10 p.m. at her home in Plains, Georgia. He died peacefully, with his family by his side,”, the Carter Center said in a statement.
Known to her husband for a moderate public image and her defense of human rights and democracy, Carter has been receiving palliative care at her home since Friday with the former president, after May was diagnosed with dementia.
Rosalynn has been my equal partner in everything I’ve done,” Jimmy Carter said in the statement.
“He gave me wise guidance and encouragement. when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn is in the world, I always know that someone loves me and supports me,” the former Democratic president said.
Throughout Jimmy Carter’s long political career, his wife was at the center of his campaigns. When in the White House, she stood out as a determined first lady who got involved in politics.
“He attends cabinet meetings and key briefings, regularly represents the chief executive at ceremonial events, and acts as a personal emissary of the president to Latin American countries, explains the US president’s website.
Rosalynn Carter, the first of four children, was born in the small town of Plains on August 18, 1927. At the age of 13, her father died, and she worked with her mother, who became a dressmaker, to support the family.
- He met Jimmy Carter in 1945 while he was a college student, and he was on leave from the Naval Academy in Annapolis. They married in 1946 and hold the record for being the longest-married American president.
