Rosalynn Carter, former first lady of the USA, has died

Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), died Sunday at the age of 96, the Carter Foundation reported.

“Our co-founder, former First Lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter, died this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the Carter Center reported on X (formerly Twitter).

Last Friday, Rosalynn Carter began receiving palliative care at home. She and her 99-year-old husband received this care together.

On February 18, it was already known that Jimmy Carter, 99 years oldafter a series of hospital admissions, she began palliative care at home instead of medical interventions.

“Rosalynn has been my partner in everything I’ve accomplished,” the former president said in a statement about his wife, who was diagnosed with dementia last year.

“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,” Carter added.

In an interview in early September, Jason Carter, the Carters’ grandson, admitted that the couple had “come to the end” but remained together and in love.

The former first lady is survived by her children Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. The grandson died in 2015.

“She died peacefully, with her family by her side,” said the foundation, which described her as “a passionate advocate for mental health, care and women’s rights.”

Rosalynn Carter, a key woman in mental health issues in the US.
“Carter was married for 77 years to Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize,” the Carter Center recalled.

“In addition to being a loving mother and an outstanding first lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right,” said Chip Carter.

As the first lady she called improve access to care and reduce stigma around mental health problems, The Carter family recently noted that one in 10 older Americans has dementia.

As the founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, the former first lady often said that there are four types of people in this world: those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers now, those who will be caregivers in the future, and those who will need care.