Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as US president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at age 96.

The Carter Center says she died today after living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health.

The Carters were married for more than 77 years, forging what they both described as a “full partnership.” Unlike many previous first ladies, Rosalynn sat in on cabinet meetings, spoke out on controversial issues and represented her husband on foreign trips. Aides to president Carter sometimes referred to her — privately — as “co-president.”

“Rosalynn is my best friend… the perfect extension of me, probably the most influential person in my life,” Jimmy Carter told aides during their White House years, which spanned from 1977-1981.