Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96

The wife of former President Jimmy Carter passed away on Sunday in Georgia, according to the Carter Center, a nonprofit human rights organization founded by the couple. She had been living with dementia, and her health had been declining for months. She died peacefully with her family at her side, the Carter Center said. Her death came two days after she was admitted into hospice care. She and the former president, who survives her, had been married for 77 years. The former president entered hospice care earlier this year.

How will Rosalynn be remembered? The press gave her the nickname “the Steel Magnolia.” The Associated Press describes her as a first lady who wielded an iron will beneath an outwardly shy demeanor. Former President Carter once described their marriage as a “full partnership.” As a first lady, Rosalynn often sat in on cabinet meetings and shared the burdens of presidential leadership with her husband. Rosalynn also joined her husband in humanitarian work and community service projects, nationally and internationally, after his presidency. She and her husband professed Christianity and were active in the Baptist church for much of their lives.

Dig deeper: Read the former first lady’s obituary in The Stew.