Remembering Nancy Reagan [Profile] - 'My Life Really Began When I Married my Husband'; These Were the Former First Lady's Last Wishes
Former First Lady and accomplished actress Nancy Reagan died in her Los Angeles home on March 6. She was 94.
Several media outlets reported the wife of former Republican president Ronald Reagan died of congestive heart failure, according to her spokeswoman Joanne Drake of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
"Mrs. Reagan will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan," Drake added in a statement. "Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the library."
First Lady Asked That Donations be Made to Reagan Library
In lieu of flowers, the former first lady previously requested that contributions be made to the library. Ronald Reagan died in the summer of 2004.
Tributes Pours in
News of her death prompted President Obama to thank her for her "warm and generous advice."
He later added, "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, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives."
President Reagan was succeeded in office by George H.W. Bush, and on Sunday fellow onetime first lady Barbara Bush expressed her warmth and admiration for her.
"Nancy Reagan was totally devoted to President Reagan, and we take comfort that they will be reunited once more," she said. "George and I send our prayers and condolences to her family."
When her husband was shot in an assassination attempt in 1981, she never left his side while he lay hospitalized. After the two left the White House and President struggled with Alzheimer's disease, she again served as his biggest protector.
Memorable Quote & Profile
In her official White House biography, she is quoted as reflecting, "My life really began when I married my husband."
Nancy Reagan was born Anne Frances Robbins in New York City on July 6, 1921. Under the stage name Nancy Davis, she starred in 11 films over a seven-year period commencing in 1949.
Over time, she met Reagan and shortly after the two costarred in the film "Hellcats of the Navy," they were man and wife. In 1966, he became governor of California and her life as the wife of a politician began in earnest.
"They had a codependent marriage that became a codependent presidency," CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said of their time in the White House, which commenced after he was elected in 1981.
"Ronald Reagan was the nice guy who liked to tell everybody how wonderful they were," Brinkley added. "She was the judge of character, and if she thought somebody didn't have her husband's interest in mind, she nixed them. You can't overestimate how important she was for the Reagan revolution and Reagan's eight years in the White House."
Nancy Reagan was also well known for her "Just say no" to drugs stance, which lead to her becoming a spokeswoman for various anti-drug campaigns.
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