Rosalynn Carter death: Jimmy Carter leads tributes to former first lady

Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former president Jimmy Carter’s wife, died at the age of 96 on Sunday.

The Carter Center announced the former first lady’s death two days after she entered hospice care at the couple’s home in Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn leaves behind her husband, four children, 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a legacy of mental health advocacy.

Jimmy Carter, 99, who is also in hospice care, paid tribute to his wife in the Carter Center statement, saying: “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished.

“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.”

The couple’s son Chip Carter said: “Besides being a loving mother and extraordinary First Lady, my mother was a great humanitarian in her own right. Her life of service and compassion was an example for all Americans.”

Key Points

• Rosalynn Carter dies at 96

• Former first lady was passionate advocate of public service and giving back

• Tributes pour in on Capitol Hill and in Hollywood

• Melania Trump issues statement while Donald remains silent

• Husband Jimmy, 39th president, calls late wife his ‘equal partner in everything I ever accomplished'

Looking back on Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s 77th wedding anniversary

14:30 , Ariana Baio

In July, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter marked their 77th wedding anniversary at their home in southern Georgia – continuing their legacy as the longest-married first couple.

The two spent a quiet night at home celebrating as both faced health troubles in the last year. The former first lady had dementia while Mr Carter has been in hospice care since February.

Though they both struggled with their health in their later years, they still enjoyed each other’s company, according to the Carter family.

“As we have looked back at their legacy, it has been really wonderful to see the outpouring of support and respect and love,” Jason Carter, the couple’s grandson, said at the time.

“That word love is really the one that defines certainly their personal relationship, but also the way they approach this world.”

Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter were ‘still holding hands’ at the end

14:00 , Ariana Baio

The grandson of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter previously told news outlets that even at the end of their lives, the two were still together and holding hands.

“They are still here, they are still holding hands and still very much together,” Josh Carter told People magazine in August.

Carter and her husband were married for 77 years.

Toward the end of her life, Carter was diagnosed with dementia. But even then, she was able to recognise her husband.

Josh Carter told People Carter was aware of Mr Carter and her other family members at the time but that it was probably “hard” for Mr Carter to see his wife lose access to older memories.

“I think the beautiful thing is that they are still together,” Josh said.

Barack and Michelle Obama pay tribute to former first lady

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Barack and Michelle Obama have paid tribute to former first lady Rosalynn Carter, following her death aged 96.

“Rosalynn Carter’s life is a reminder that no matter who we are, our legacies are best measured not in awards or accolades, but in the lives we touch. We send our thoughts and prayers to Jimmy and the entire Carter family during this difficult time,” former president Barack Obama wrote on X.

Former first lady Michelle Obama echoed his comments, writing: “You learn very quickly that there is no handbook or rules to being First Lady. Technically, it’s not even an official position. And while there are spoken and unspoken expectations that provide some structure, the role is largely shaped by the passions and aspirations of the person holding it. First Lady Rosalynn Carter understood that well. Guided by her abiding faith and her commitment to service, Mrs. Carter used her platform in profoundly meaningful ways. Her groundbreaking work to combat the stigma faced by those struggling with their mental health brought light to so many suffering in silence. She advocated for better care for the elderly. She advanced women’s rights. And she remained a champion for those causes — and many others like building affordable housing for those in need and caring for our nation’s caregivers — in the more than four decades that followed. When our family was in the White House, every so often, Rosalynn would join me for lunch, offering a few words of advice and always — always — a helping hand. She reminded me to make the role of First Lady my own, just like she did. I’ll always remain grateful for her support and her generosity. Today, Barack and I join the world in celebrating the remarkable legacy of a First Lady, philanthropist, and advocate who dedicated her life to lifting up others. Her life is a reminder that no matter who we are, our legacies are best measured not in awards or accolades, but in the lives we touch. We send our thoughts and prayers to Jimmy and the entire Carter family during this difficult time.”

MLK’s grandaughter memorialises ‘dear friend'

13:00 , John Bowden

One of the tributes posted on Twitter Sunday evening after the death of Rosalynn Carter was emblematic of her family’s legacy — it came from Bernice King, granddaughter of murdered civil rights icon Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

“Her commitment to peace and tireless efforts, alongside her husband, former President #JimmyCarter, to make a positive impact on our nation and world will be remembered. Our hearts are with President Carter and the Carter family during this difficult time,” Ms King wrote in a pair of posts.

WATCH: Moment Biden pays tribute to former first lady Rosalynn Carter

12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Melania Trump pays tribute to Rosalynn Carter’s ‘servant heart'

12:13 , Rachel Sharp

Melania Trump has paid tribute to fellow former first lady Rosalynn Carter, remembering her “servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country”.

Donald Trump’s wife took to X on Sunday to release a statement following Carter’s death aged 96 at the weekend.

“Rosalynn Carter leaves behind a meaningful legacy not only as First Lady but as a wife and mother,” she wrote.

“We will always remember her servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country. May she rest in peace.”

Rosalynn Carter: Advocate for Jimmy Carter and many others, always leveraging her love of politics

12:00 , John Bowden

The Washington chattering class, often unsure what to make of outsiders, dubbed Rosalynn Carter the “Steel Magnolia” when she arrived as first lady.

A devout Baptist and mother of four, she was diminutive and outwardly shy, with a soft smile and softer Southern accent. That was the “magnolia.” She also was a force behind Jimmy Carter’s rise from peanut farmer to winner of the 1976 presidential election. That was the “steel.”

Yet that obvious, even trite moniker almost certainly undersold her role and impact across the Carters’ early life, their one White House term and their four decades afterward as global humanitarians advocating peace, democracy and the eradication of disease.

Through more than 77 years of marriage, until her death Sunday at the age of 96, Rosalynn Carter was business and political partner, best friend and closest confidant to the 39th president.

Read more:

Rosalynn Carter: Remembering advocate for Jimmy and many others

Trump mocked Jimmy Carter hours after Rosalynn entered hospice care

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump mocked Jimmy Carter just hours after his wife Rosalynn Carter entered hospice care – and hours before she passed away.

Speaking at a rally in Iowa on Sunday, the former president took aim at the former president in a bizarre attempt to lash out at current President Joe Biden.

“The happiest person anywhere in this country right now is Jimmy Carter because his administration looked brilliant compared to these clowns,” he said of the Biden administration.

“Compared to Biden, Jimmy Carter was a brilliant, brilliant president.”

His comments came hours after it was announced that the former first lady had entered hospice care.

She died on Sunday aged 96.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden remember ‘dear friend’ Rosalynn Carter

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Read the statement from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in full:

First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way. Throughout her incredible life as First Lady of Georgia and the First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn did so much to address many of society’s greatest needs. She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities. Above all, the deep love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership, and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism. She lived her life by her faith. Time and time again, during the more than four decades of our friendship – through rigors of campaigns, through the darkness of deep and profound loss – we always felt the hope, warmth, and optimism of Rosalynn Carter. She will always be in our hearts. On behalf of a grateful nation, we send our love to President Carter, the entire Carter family, and the countless people across our nation and the world whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter. May God bless our dear friend. May God bless a great American.

Last public outing

10:00 , John Bowden

Former president Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter made a rare public appearance at a peanut festival in September in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

The pair were driven in the annual festival’s parade in a black SUV.

“The Carters made the day for the thousands of attendees at the Plains Peanut Festival,” Jill Stuckey of the National Park Service’s Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains told the AJC. “What a wonderful surprise for everyone.”

Read more:

Jimmy Carter attends his hometown’s peanut festival as he nears his 99th birthday

Donald Trump reacts to Rosalynn Carter’s death

09:31 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump has released a statement on Truth Social paying tribute to former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Read his statement in full:

Melania and I join all Americans in mourning the loss of Rosalynn Carter. She was a devoted First Lady, a great humanitarian, a champion for mental health, and a beloved wife to her husband for 77 years, President Carter.

Over a life spanning nearly a century, Rosalynn Carter earned the admiration and gratitude of our entire nation. From her days as a U.S. Navy spouse, to the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, to her tenure as First Lady of the United States, and her later work at the Carter Center and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, she leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary accomplishment and national service.

Our prayers are with the former president, the Carter family, and the entire community of Plains, Georgia, that she loved so much!

A life of public service

08:00 , John Bowden

Both Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter agreed later in life that she was the more political of the two, PBS reported.

She had ideas of her own, starting from when he was campaigning for a Georgia state senate seat. Ms Carter reportedly spoke to voters in line, including one mill worker who was caring for her child who was afflicted by mental illness.

“I want to know what you are going to do about mental health when you are governor,” she told her husband the following day. He vowed he would put her in charge of it. Rosalynn Carter then dedicated her lifelong efforts to improving mental health in Americans.

From 1977 to 1978, she served as the Honorary Chairperson of the President’s Commission on Mental Health. And after Mr Carter’s 1980 defeat, the couple founded the Carter Center, an institution dedicated to “human rights and the alleviation of human suffering.”

Who was Rosalynn Carter?

06:00 , John Bowden

Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born in Plains, Georgia on 18, August 1927. The nurse who delivered her was Lillian Carter, her future husband’s mother.

Rosalynn, the oldest child, was propelled to take on extra help around the house after her father died when she was just 13 years old. She helped take care of her siblings, sewed, and took on housekeeping chores.

Years later, she attended Georgia Southwestern College at Americus, where she met a man who would one day become president.

In 1946, the couple got married. They moved around while Jimmy Carter was in the navy, until he was forced back to his hometown of Plains to take over his family’s peanut farm. Rosalynn also started working on the farm full-time.

Once Mr Carter entered a life of public service, Rosalynn was his right hand. She helped run his many successful campaigns, as president she sat in on Cabinet meetings, and expressed an early interest in mental health advocacy.

The rest of their careers were marked by a life of public service. The pair built homes with Habitat for Humanity and founded the Carter Center, and aimed to end stigma around mental health afflictions.

Everlasting love

04:00 , Kelly Rissman

“She’s the girl I want to marry,” Jimmy Carter reportedly told his mother after his first date with the then 17-year-old Rosalynn Smith.

A year later, in 1946, they got married.

Mr Carter ran successful campaigns for the Georgia state senate, the Georgia governor, and eventually the presidency, all with his wife by his side.

After President Carter’s 1980 defeat, the pair dedicated their efforts to humanitarian causes, including launching the Carter Center and building Habitat for Humanity houses.

Together, they raised four children, and 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Earlier this year, after former President Carter entered hospice care, their grandson remarked that the couple is in the “last chapter” of their lives. “They are still here, they are still holding hands and still very much together,” he said.

The last anniversary

02:00 , John Bowden

Former President Carter celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary this summer.

“As we have looked back at their legacy, it has been really wonderful to see the outpouring of support and respect and love,” grandson Jason Carter said recently. “That word love is really the one that defines certainly their personal relationship, but also the way they approach this world.”

The pair have described their marriage as a “full partnership,” alluding to their experiences raising a family, running the peanut farm, their political career before and in the White House, and their consistent commitment to humanitarian causes.

MLK’s grandaughter memorialises ‘dear friend'

00:00 , John Bowden

One of the tributes posted on Twitter Sunday evening after the death of Rosalynn Carter was emblematic of her family’s legacy — it came from Bernice King, granddaughter of murdered civil rights icon Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

“Her commitment to peace and tireless efforts, alongside her husband, former President #JimmyCarter, to make a positive impact on our nation and world will be remembered. Our hearts are with President Carter and the Carter family during this difficult time,” Ms King wrote in a pair of posts.

Rosalynn Carter: Advocate for Jimmy Carter and many others, always leveraging her love of politics

Sunday 19 November 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

The Washington chattering class, often unsure what to make of outsiders, dubbed Rosalynn Carter the “Steel Magnolia” when she arrived as first lady.

A devout Baptist and mother of four, she was diminutive and outwardly shy, with a soft smile and softer Southern accent. That was the “magnolia.” She also was a force behind Jimmy Carter’s rise from peanut farmer to winner of the 1976 presidential election. That was the “steel.”

Yet that obvious, even trite moniker almost certainly undersold her role and impact across the Carters’ early life, their one White House term and their four decades afterward as global humanitarians advocating peace, democracy and the eradication of disease.

Through more than 77 years of marriage, until her death Sunday at the age of 96, Rosalynn Carter was business and political partner, best friend and closest confidant to the 39th president.

Read more:

Rosalynn Carter: Remembering advocate for Jimmy and many others

Chris Christie is first 2024 GOP candidate to speak about Rosalynn Carter

Sunday 19 November 2023 22:37 , John Bowden

Former New Jersey Gov Chris Christie offered compassionate praise of the former first lady on Sunday, and was the only Republican 2024 candidate to have done so when his statement hit Twitter.

“Our prayers go out to the Carter family on the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. She was a role model for selfless public service & the Carter marriage was an example of a true loving partnership. Mary Pat & I pray for her, President Carter and their entire family.”

Donald Trump’s wife Melania, also a former first lady, had issued a statement but her husband’s Truth Social feed remained quiet.

Rosalynn Carter dies, aged 96

Sunday 19 November 2023 22:21 , John Bowden

More tributes from Democrats pour in

Sunday 19 November 2023 22:00 , John Bowden

The former first lady, Rosalynn Carter, and her husband Jimmy have long held a special place of honour for Americans and particularly Democrats. The pair’s dedication to causes like Habitat for Humanity endeared them to millions of Americans.

Members of the House Democratic caucus expressed their sorrow on Twitter after news of her death broke on Sunday.

Melania Trump comments on death of fellow former first lady

Sunday 19 November 2023 21:38 , John Bowden

Former first lady Melania Trump was among the Republicans who joined in commemorating the life of Rosalynn Carter on Sunday.

“Rosalynn Carter leaves behind a meaningful legacy not only as First Lady but as a wife and mother. We will always remember her servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country. May she rest in peace,” wrote Ms Trump.

Her husband had not posted a similar statement more than thirty minutes later.

House Democratic leader hails Carter for life of ‘service and compassion'

Sunday 19 November 2023 21:20 , John Bowden

New York Rep Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democratic caucus, joined the tributes to Rosalynn Carter on Sunday with a prayer for the former president’s family.

Chuck Schumer: Carter was a ‘passionate humanitarian'

Sunday 19 November 2023 21:03 , John Bowden

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer touched on the former first lady’s long legacy of service — even after her husband left the presidency — in his tribute on Sunday.

Politicians react to Rosalynn Carter’s death

Sunday 19 November 2023 20:52 , John Bowden

Both Republicans and Democrats were quick to offer their condolences to the Carter family on Sunday after news of her death was announced.

Chuck Grassley, a GOP senator from Iowa, was one of the first: “Sad news w the passing of First Lady Rosalynn Carter She was an accomplished leader for mental health advocacy & habitat for humanity & so many more worthy causes,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

“Her devotion to her husband Pres Jimmy Carter of 77yrs is unmatched,” the senator continued. “God bless the Carter family.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, was another:

Full Carter Center statement

Sunday 19 November 2023 20:36 , Megan Sheets

Below is the Carter Center’s death announcement in full:

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 39^th 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.

Rosalynn Carter hailed by family after death at 96

Sunday 19 November 2023 20:33 , Megan Sheets

Rosalynn Carter’s family, including husband Jimmy and son Chip, paid tribute to the former first lady in a Carter Center statement announcing her death on Sunday.

Read more:

Rosalynn Carter dies aged 96 days after entering hospice