Rosalynn Carter dies at the age of 96: The former first lady and wife of Jimmy Carter dies two days after entering hospice and six months after being diagnosed with dementia.
The veteran women’s rights activist was married to President Carter for 77 years and died at 2:10 p.m. with her family at her home in Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center said.
She is survived by her children – Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy – as well as 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A grandson died in 2015.
“Rosalynn has been my equal partner in everything I have ever accomplished,” President Carter, 99, said this afternoon.
“She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it.” “As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew that someone loved and supported me.”
Rosalynn Carter dies at the age of 96: The former first lady and wife of Jimmy Carter dies two days after entering hospice and six months after being diagnosed with dementia
A love story spanning decades: Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in 1946. The couple were married for 77 years
Former United States President Jimmy Carter walks with his wife, former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter, to their home after dinner at a friend’s home on Saturday, August 4, 2018 in Plains
“My mother was not only a loving mother and exceptional first lady, but also a great humanitarian in her own right,” said his son Chip Carter.
“Her life of service and compassion was a role model for all Americans. “She will be sorely missed not only by our family, but also by the many people who have better mental health care and access to care resources today.”
She and President Carter, 99, “spent time together” in her final days, her family said.
The couple had four children, 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has taken over hospice care at her home. She and President Carter will be shown in 2021
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter watches as President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden leave former President Jimmy Carter’s home during a trip marking Biden’s 100th day in office on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
In this 1966 file photo, then-Georgia State Senator Jimmy Carter hugs his wife Rosalynn at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta
The Carters at the Democratic National Convention in New York City in July 1976
The then-President kisses his wife as he boards a helicopter for a flight from the White House to Camp David in May 1979
The president has been receiving hospice care at his home in Georgia for several months.
They are the longest married couple in US presidential history and met when Jimmy was just three years old and Rosalynn was a newborn.
They celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary on July 7, 2023.
The couple were together for the first time in 1945. Jimmy, then 20, attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and stole a kiss from Rosalynn on their first date.
He later told his mother that he wanted to marry her.
Jimmy told People in 2015 that marrying her was the “best thing I ever did,” describing their partnership as the “highlight” of his life.
Ahead of their 75th wedding anniversary in 2021, he said: “My biggest secret is marrying the right person if you want to have a lasting marriage.”
“Every day there must be reconciliation and communication between the two spouses,” he added, explaining that he and Rosalynn, both devout Christians, read the Bible together every evening – something they had done for years, even while going through Trips were separate.
“We won’t fall asleep if there are still differences between us.”
Rosalynn was diagnosed with dementia in May, three months after her husband was admitted to hospice care at their Georgia home.
‘Woman. “Carter was the nation’s leading mental health advocate for most of her life,” the Carter Center said at the time.
Jimmy and Rosalynn are seen above kissing during a reopening ceremony of the newly remodeled Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta in October 2009
“Every day there must be reconciliation and communication between the two spouses,” the former president said, explaining that he and Rosalynn, both devout Christians, read the Bible together every evening
The couple were pictured at President George HW Bush’s funeral in 2018
The couple lived in the hometown where they were born and grew up. They are seen above in Plains, Georgia in February 2017
Rosalynn and her husband were pictured with a Girl Scout troop in November last year
The couple continued to enjoy life’s simple pleasures in 2018, including regular helpings of their favorite ice cream, according to Jason Carter, their grandson.
“First at the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, then at the White House, and later at the Carter Center, she called for increased access to health care and a reduction in stigma around mental health issues.”
“One in 10 older Americans suffers from dementia, a condition that impacts overall mental health.” We recognize, as she did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that holds back individuals and their families to seek and receive much-needed support.
“As founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Ms. Carter often observed that there are only four types of people in this world: those who have served as caregivers; those who are currently carers, those who will be carers and those who will need carers.’
Senate leader Chuck Schumer was one of the first to pay tribute on X, formerly Twitter, saying she had “dedicated her life to serving others.”
“America has lost a passionate humanitarian and champion of people around the world,” he added. “My condolences go out to her entire family.”
The Carter Center has set up an online condolence book and said a schedule of memorial events and funeral ceremonies will be released as soon as possible.