Former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter, diagnosed with dementia

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a passionate champion of mental health, caregiving, and women’s rights, passed away Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2:10 p.m. at her home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 96. She died peacefully, with family by her side.

Mrs. Carter was married for 77 years to Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who is now 99 years old.

“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President 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.”

She is survived by her children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy — and 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A grandson died in 2015.

“Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right,” said Chip Carter. “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.”

The schedule of memorial events and funeral ceremonies will be distributed as soon as possible to media and posted on www.rosalynncartertribute.org. This tribute website includes the family’s official online condolence book and opportunities for memorial gifts, as well as an official biography and downloadable photos.


Rest in peace, Rosalynn Carter. A true lady, pillar of quiet strength and faith in action. I'm glad to have grown up knowing about her and all the work that she did. In the background of my life, now that I think about it, were the Carters and the example they set for the rest of us. I'm grateful for that.
 
Rosalynn Carter, a lifelong advocate for mental health and human rights advocate and the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, will be memorialized with a series of public and private events in Georgia after the Thanksgiving holiday — ending with her burial at the Plains residence she called home since 1961.

On Monday, Nov. 27, ceremonies will begin with a wreath-laying at Georgia Southwestern State University's Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex. The former first lady will then be taken to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, where members of the public are invited to pay respects while she lies in repose from 6 to 10 p.m.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Carter motorcade will move to Emory University's Glenn Memorial Church for a private tribute service, and on Wednesday, Nov. 28, a formal funeral service for family and friends will take place at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains.

The public is welcomed to line the family's motorcade route after the funeral service before she is privately interred at the Carter family's residence, near the home she and President Carter built more than 60 years ago...
 

"A famous moment stands out in the former first lady's journey -- when Jimmy Carter was running for governor -- to be a champion for mental health advocacy. She stood in a receiving line to shake hands with her husband. When she got to the front of the line, she asked him, "What are you going to do for people with mental illness when you're governor of Georgia?"

His response was to put her in charge of it, with Rosalynn exceeding expectations in the role and embracing frameworks of treating mental health with understanding and empathy that were far ahead of her time.

Across the years she led commissions, testified before the Senate, worked on the Mental Health Parity Act and co-founded The Carter Center, which has a mental health branch. She also created her namesake organization focusing on caregivers."
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
58
Guests online
3,706
Total visitors
3,764

Forum statistics

Threads
592,621
Messages
17,972,036
Members
228,845
Latest member
butiwantedthatname
Back
Top