BEL AIR—Former First Lady, Nancy Reagan died at her Bel Air home of congestive heart failure on Sunday, March 6 at the age of 94. Reagan was born Anne Frances Robbins in July 1921 in New York City. She was known as a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s appearing in movies that included “Portrait of Jennie,” “East Side, West Side,” “Night Into Morning,” “Donovan’s Brain” and “Crash Landing.”
She met her husband Ronald Reagan in 1949, who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time. She was the First Lady of California from 1967-1975 as her husband served two successful terms as the governor of the state.
Ronald Reagan ran for the US presidency in 1976, but failed to earn the Party’s nomination. He later ran for the presidency again in 1980 and won. Reagan served two terms in The White House, where Nancy became renowned for her fashion sense and level of style and grace that she brought to The Oval Office. She stood by her husband’s side after an attempted assassination attempt on his life in 1981 after leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel.
Nancy was responsible for the “Just Say No” campaign that was launched in 1982 for the drug awareness campaign. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. Her health had been a concern in recent years. In 2008, she suffered a serious fall at her Bel Air home where she fractured her pelvis and sacrum.
Many went to social media to pay tributes to the famed First Lady. Donald Trump, tweeted: “Nancy Reagan, the wife of a truly great President, was an amazing woman. She will be missed!” President Barack Obama and current First Lady Michelle Obama released the following statement:
“Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House. 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, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives.
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.”
According to Joanne Drake, Spokeswoman for Nancy Reagan, the Former First Lady will be buried next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the Library. Her husband passed away in 2004. Nancy is survived by her children, Patricia and Ronald.
