Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96; Cause of Death Revealed

The former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who had been suffering from dementia, died at the age of 96 at her home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday afternoon.

Rosalynn Carter is the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, and they have been married for 77 years.

Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96

The Carter Center, a pro-democracy and human rights organization founded by Jimmy Carter in 1981 after his position at the White House, announced that Rosalynn died beside her family in their hometown of Georgia.

The organization said that Carter died after a few days of receiving hospice treatment at her home and after she was diagnosed with dementia. Despite her dementia, she continued to live happily at home with her husband and enjoyed the spring in Plains.

"Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," Mr. Carter said. He said she gave him wise words and encouragement whenever he needed them and added that as long as Rosalynn was still present in this world, he knew that someone loved and supported him.

Along with Mr. Carter, she is survived by their four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. President Joe Biden also released a statement about the death of Mrs. Carter to the reporters before he boarded Air Force One in Virginia on Sunday. He described Rosalynn Carter as a woman of integrity.

Biden said that the Carter family was an incredible family as they brought so much grace to the office. Furthermore, Mr. Carter also entered hospice treatment at home in February this year.

(Photo : SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, wife of former US President Jimmy Carter, speaks during a US Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 26, 2011. Carter urged reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which provides older Americans access to care-giving services.

Who is Rosalynn Carter?

Rosalynn Carter was a prominent campaigner, especially an advocate for mental health when these issues were not mainly tackled in public. She also advocated for several social causes, such as programs that supported health care resources, human rights, social justice, and the needs of older people.

"Twenty-five years ago, we did not dream that people might someday be able actually to recover from mental illnesses," Mrs. Carter said at a mental health symposium in 2003.

She added that it has been in her prayers to work on mental health issues, which was to have a miraculous development in mental health.

She became a more visible figure and politically active than many of her predecessors when she became the first lady at the White House. She was responsible for attending cabinet meetings and National Security Council briefings and traveling to Latin America and other regions overseas as an official representative of her husband.

In the 1977-1981 Carter Administration, they were recognized as a disappointment during the rise of inflation and a hostage crisis in Iran. But when the 39th president left office, Mr. Carter won the public's admiration due to his extensive humanitarian work at home and abroad.

Furthermore, Mrs. and Mr. Carter became the most prominent volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, an affordable housing charity. Mr. Carter also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for campaigning for peace negotiations, human rights, and working for social welfare.