On Sunday, November 19, former President Jimmy Carter said farewell to his wife, Rosalynn Carter. The former First Lady passed away at approximately 2 p.m. in Plains, Georgia after entering hospice care two days earlier.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” former President Jimmy Carter said.
“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.”
Carter is widely recognized as a dedicated humanitarian who championed human rights and global health concerns. The former First Lady served as the chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health and helped pass the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. Later in life, she was diagnosed with dementia and worked to destigmatize the condition.
Carter was 96 at the time of her passing She is survived by her husband, their four children, Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
“Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right,” Chip Carter said about his mother.
“Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans. She will be sorely missed not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today.”
