Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady, Passes Away at Her Home

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has died at the age of 96 on Sunday afternoon, according to her family.

Rosalynn died while in hospice care at her Plains, Georgia, home. Her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, 99, has been in hospice care for several months.

"Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," former President Carter said in a statement released by The Carter Center on Sunday. "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."

Rosalynn is survived by her husband, their children—Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy—as well as their 11 grandchildren and their 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. "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."

Newsweek reached out to The Carter Center via email for comment.

Rosalynn was married to former President Carter for 77 years, with him often relying on her for political counsel. As first lady to the 39th president in the late 1970s, Rosalynn represented the administration during visits with Central and South American leaders, fundraised for displaced Cambodians, and sponsored poetry and jazz festivals at the White House.

She was also a vocal advocate for mental health, women's rights, and human rights. When she was first lady, she supported the Equal Rights Amendment, which when passed in March 1972, prohibited discrimination based on sex. Rosalynn also helped to reduce the stigma around mental illness, often framing mental health care as "a basic human right" in her speeches.

After the Carter's left the White House, they created The Carter Center in 1982, a nonprofit focused on human rights. She was also president of the board of directors for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, which supports those who care for loved ones with chronic illness and disabilities.

In May, The Carter Center announced that Rosalynn suffered from dementia.

"The Carter family is sharing that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia. She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones," her family wrote in a statement at the time.

Former President Carter entered hospice care in February "after a series of short hospital stays," according to The Carter Center. The organization announced Rosalynn's stay in hospice just two days ago.

Update 11/19/23, 4:46 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.