Former first lady Rosalynn Carter passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, according to the Carter Center. She was the wife of former President Jimmy Carter and a devoted advocate for mental health. She was 96 years old.
"Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," Jimmy Carter said in a statement. "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."
She is survived by her children - Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, according to the Carter Center.
Rosalynn Carter
"Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right," Chip Carter said. "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."
Rosalynn Carter entered hospice care at home last week after having been diagnosed with dementia, the Carter Center announced at the time. Her husband had been in hospice care at home since February that same year.
Mrs. Carter served as the country's first lady during her husband's only term as U.S. president, from 1977 to 1981, and was the nation's leading mental health advocate for much of her life.
In 1982, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded The Carter Center, a nonprofit devoted to advancing human rights and alleviating human suffering, shortly after Jimmy Carter lost his reelection bid to Ronald Reagan.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones.