Jimmy Carter said his wife was his “equal partner in everything”; he ever reached Photo: Jim Young/Reuters
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady of the United States, has died at the age of 96.
She died peacefully on Sunday surrounded by her family at the couple's home. in Georgia, the Carter Center reported.
She joined her husband in home hospice care on Friday after being diagnosed with dementia in May.
“Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a passionate advocate for mental health, care and women's rights, died Sunday, November 19th at 2:10 pm at her home in Plains, Georgia at the age of 96. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family. next to her,” the Carter Center said.
Jimmy Carter, former US President, added: “Rosalyn has been my equal partner in everything I have ever achieved.
“She gave me wise guidance and support when I needed it. As long as Rosaleen was alive, I always knew that someone loved and supported me.”
Carters at the National Convention Democratic Party at Madison Square Garden in 1976. Photo: AP
Throughout Carter's long political career, his wife was at the center of his campaign. And once at the White House, from 1977 to 1981, Mrs. Carter was often invited to sit in as an observer at Cabinet meetings and discussions of political strategy.
In a 1978 interview, Carter said he shared almost everything with his wife except top-secret material. “I think she understands the consciousness of the American people and their attitudes perhaps better than I do,” he said.
The First Lady was also sent on important official missions to Latin America, and she participated in the unsuccessful campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution, designed to ensure equal treatment for women under the law.
Meanwhile, the Iran crisis with The hostage crisis, in which American diplomats and others were held captive in Tehran after the Islamic Revolution, occurred as Mr. Carter sought re-election. The crisis contributed to the downfall of his presidency as he abstained from campaigning while trying to resolve the standoff.
During this time, Mrs. Carter sought to support her husband, performing in 112 cities in 34 states during a 44-day tour.
Her performances and forays into crowds helped her husband defeat Ted Kennedy, his Democratic challenger party in the 1980 primaries, although he lost the primary by an overwhelming margin to Ronald Reagan. general elections.
The Carters dance at the Congressional Christmas Ball at the White House in 1978. Photo: BILL FITZ-PATRICK/JIMMY CARTER LIBRARY/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
At the White House, Ms. Carter also became honorary chairman of the President's Commission. on mental health, which played a key role in the passage of a 1980 law that helped fund local mental health centers.
After leaving Washington, she continued her work through the Carter Center, a private nonprofit institution that the Carters founded in Atlanta in 1982.
She continued to advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights, and conflict. addressing and empowering urban communities.
“I hope our legacy continues, and not just as First Lady, because the Carter Center has been an integral part of our lives. And our motto is to promote peace, fight disease and promote hope,” she said in 2013.
“And I hope that I have contributed to the solution to mental health problems and helped make the lives of people living with mental illness a little better.”
The Carters celebrate their election victory in 1970. Photo: Billy Downs/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP
Ms. Carter was born in the small town of Plains on Aug. 18, 1927, the first of four children.
She met Carter in 1945 while she was in college and he was on leave from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. They married in 1946 and hold the record for the longest-married presidential couple.
The former first lady is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren after losing her grandson in 2015.
Chip Carter, the son of the former first lady, said that: “In addition, that my mother was a loving mother and an outstanding first lady, she was a great humanitarian in her own right.
“She will be greatly missed not only by our family, but by many in better mental health. healthcare and access to care resources today.”
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