Former US First Lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93, media reports said Friday, while Nancy Reagan hailed her as “an inspiration” notably for her California substance abuse treatment center.
The widow of president Gerald Ford, who also campaigned for breast cancer awareness and was outspoken on women’s rights issues, had lived in California since her husband’s death in 2006.
“I was deeply saddened .. when I heard of Betty Ford’s death. She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center,” said Reagan.
“She was Jerry Ford’s strength through some very difficult days in our country’s history, and I admired her courage in facing and sharing her personal struggles with all of us,” added Reagan, who also lives in California.
Elizabeth “Betty” Ford turned her battles with two devastating illnesses — breast cancer and drug and alcohol addiction — into triumph as she overcame them and went on to help others follow suit.
Speaking openly about her fight with breast cancer and her dependence on prescription drugs and alcohol, Ford removed much of the stigma attached to both illnesses and aided others who were battling the same demons.
She notably helped create the renowned Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Rancho Mirage, California, where tens of thousands have been treated since 1982.
Born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer on April 8, 1918 in Chicago, Ford, one of three children, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and studied dance at Bennington College in Vermont.
She divorced her first husband, William Warren, after five years, and began dating then-Navy lieutenant Gerald Ford a short time later. The couple married on October 15, 1948, just two weeks before Gerald Ford was elected to Congress.
They lived in the Washington area for nearly three decades, as he climbed up the political ladder from the US Capitol to the White House.
