Nancy Reagan dies aged 94

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Dr Frook
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Nancy Reagan dies aged 94

Postby Dr Frook » 06 Mar 2016, 21:16

I remember her ... sort of. Sad.

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Nancy Reagan, devoted wife and trusted confidante to late president Ronald Reagan who after his death became the most ardent guardian of his political legacy, has died aged 94.

The former first lady died at her home in Los Angeles from congestive heart failure, her spokeswoman Joanne Drake said.

She will be buried next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Ms Drake said.

"She is once again with the man she loved," her stepson Michael Reagan wrote on Twitter.

Mrs Reagan became one of the most influential first ladies in US history during her Republican husband's presidency from 1981 to 1989.

Her husband, who affectionately called her "Mommy" while she called him "Ronnie", died in 2004 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's, the progressive brain disorder that destroys memory.

As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress during the 1940s and 1950s and married Reagan, a prominent film actor, in 1952.

She then served as first lady of California during her husband's stint as California governor from 1967 to 1975 before moving into the White House after his decisive victory over incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Her most publicised project as first lady was the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign.

After her husband developed Alzheimer's disease, she became an advocate for discovering a cure.

Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan smile in black and white photo
Photo: Nancy Reagan became a strong advocate for Alzheimer's research after her husband Ronald died of the disease in 2004. (Reuters)

She was diminutive and publicly soft spoken but Nancy Reagan's strong will, high-tone tastes and clout with her husband made her a controversial figure during his presidency.

As the president's wife, political partner and adviser, she became one of America's most powerful first ladies, alongside the likes of Franklin Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor, Woodrow Wilson's wife, Edith, and Bill Clinton's wife, Hillary.

"I see the first lady as another means to keep a president from becoming isolated," she said in 1985.

"I talk to people. They tell me things. And if something is about to become a problem, I'm not above calling a staff person and asking about it.

"I'm a woman who loves her husband and I make no apologies for looking out for his personal and political welfare."

Tiny and frail in her later years, Mrs Reagan devoted her time to caring for her ailing husband at their home in Los Angeles' exclusive Bel Air enclave.

She was always a stickler for protocol and detail and stoically presided over the former president's weeklong funeral and celebration of his life in June 2004.

She redefined the first lady role: Obamas

US President Barack Obama and his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, offered condolences on her death, saying she "redefined the role" of first lady and became a strong advocate for Alzheimer's research.

"Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House," the Obamas wrote in a joint statement after news of Mrs Reagan's death in California.

"She was right, of course. But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice.

"Our former first lady redefined the role in her time here.

"Later, in her long goodbye with President Reagan, she became a voice on behalf of millions of families going through the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimer's, and took on a new role, as advocate.

"We offer our sincere condolences to their children, Patti, Ron, and Michael, and to their grandchildren.

"And we remain grateful for Nancy Reagan's life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again."

The BUGBLATTER BEAST HAS SPOKEN, ALL HAIL THE BLATTERER!
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