Rosalynn Carter – former US first lady – dies at 96

Rosalynn Carter – the former US first lady and wife of President Jimmy Carter – died at age 96.

According to the media reports, the news has been confirmed by the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded by the couple. Rosalynn Carter – who President Jimmy Carter called “an extension of myself” owing to his wife’s prominent role in his administration even as she tirelessly promoted the cause of mental health – died with her family by her side, according to a statement released by the Carter Center.

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Democrat Jimmy Carter was president from 1977 until 1981. He and his wife were the longest-married presidential pair in American history, having married in 1946 when he was 21 and she was 18. After his sole time as president ended, he also had longer post-White House years than any other president, and she played an important role during those years, including as a member of the Carter Center and the Habitat for Humanity Foundation.

Her family revealed in May that she had dementia but was still living at home. Jimmy Carter, 99, is under hospice care after deciding in February to forego further medical intervention. In the statement, the former president stated, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished.”

“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,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that former US Presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump also lauded her.