Former first lady Betty Ford dies at 93

Betty Ford, official White House photo color, 1974

Former first lady Betty Ford dies at 93

Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center, died Friday. She was 93.
Ford, the wife of the late President Gerald Ford, was taken to Eisenhower Medical Center near her home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where she passed away, Lee Rice, a spokesman for the hospital, told NBC News.
Nancy Reagan was among the first to mourn her passing.

Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford (April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011), better known as Betty Ford was the wife of former United States President Gerald Ford and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. As first lady, Ford was active in social policy and shattered precedents as a politically active presidential wife (Time considered her "the most since Eleanor Roosevelt"). In the opinion of several historians, Ford had more impact upon history and culture than her husband.

President Obama about Betty Ford's Death

In a White House statement, President Barack Obama said that Betty Ford "distinguished herself through her courage and compassion." The president said he and the first lady sent their thoughts and prayers to the Ford children.
"She was a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous First Lady," former President George H.W. Bush said in a statement. "No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced." Betty Ford was thrust into the spotlight in 1974 when her husband became president after the resignation of President Richard Nixon. She remained one of the country’s most admired women even after the Fords left the White House in 1977.
During the tumult of the post-Watergate era, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy soon after her husband became president.

Candor, wit, courage


During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs. Ford won acclaim for her candor, wit and courage as she fought breast cancer, severe arthritis and the twin addictions of drugs and alcohol. She also pressed for abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.
But it was her Betty Ford Center, a desert oasis that rescued celebrities and ordinary people from addiction, that made her famous in her own right. She was modest about that accomplishment.
"People who get well often say, 'You saved my life,' and 'You've turned my life around,'" she recalled. "They don't realize we merely provided the means for them to do it themselves and that's all.