Former First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter, died this Sunday, November 19, at 2:10 p.m. at her home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 96, according to the Carter Center in a statement reported. . “She died peacefully, with her family by her side,” the note said, describing her as a “passionate advocate for mental health, care and women’s rights.” With great political savvy, she was an activist first lady who championed various causes and attended cabinet meetings.
Rosalynn Carter was married for 77 years to Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who is now 99 years old and the oldest President of the United States. The former president has been in palliative care for months but outlived his wife, who suffered the same thing this week. Rosalynn Carter, who suffered from dementia, was the country’s second-oldest first lady, behind only Bess Truman, who died at age 97.
Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born in Plains on August 18, 1927, the oldest of four children. Because her father died when she was young, she took on much of the responsibility for caring for her siblings while her mother worked part-time. She worked alongside her studies and still graduated at the top of her school.
Jimmy and Rosalynn knew each other their entire lives. It was Jimmy’s mother, nurse Lillian Carter, who helped deliver Rosalynn. He attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, when she was still in high school, but they became friends at a very young age and married when she was only 19.
“Rosalynn has been my equal partner in everything I have accomplished,” former President Carter said in the statement. “He gave me wise advice and encouragement when I needed it. “While Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew that someone loved and supported me,” he added.
She wasn’t just any first lady. Unlike most of her predecessors, she attended cabinet meetings and spoke out on controversial issues. Carter sent them on a trip to Latin America to tell the dictators that he was serious about human rights. They were so close that some White House aides privately referred to them as “co-chairs.” After leaving the White House, the two founded the Carter Center and have continued their work there for four decades.
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In addition to her husband, Rosalynn is survived by her children (Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy), 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A grandson died in 2015.
“My mother was not only a loving mother and an exceptional first lady, but also a great humanitarian in her own right,” said Chip Carter. “His life of service and compassion was an example to all Americans. “She will be greatly missed not only by our family, but also by the many people who have better mental health care and access to care resources today.”
The calendar of memorial events and funeral ceremonies will be distributed shortly and posted at www.rosalynncartertribute.org. This tribute website contains the family’s official online condolence book.
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