Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94.
According to her rep and spokeswoman with the Reagan library, Joanne Drake, Reagan died of congestive heart failure. She will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, according to an official statement.
Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94. https://t.co/PsbHcBUZmN pic.twitter.com/rn8JPWIPDt
— Variety (@Variety) March 6, 2016
Before the funeral service, members of the public will be given a chance to pay their respects at the Library, Drake wrote.
Her stepson Michael Reagan also confirmed the news on his Facebook account: “She is once again with the man she loved. God Bless.”
Prominent political figures have also expressed their love and support for the family of the former first lady on social media.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also offered their condolences to the Reagan family, “We remain grateful for Nancy Reagan’s life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again.”
Barack and Michelle Obama pay tribute Nancy Reagan: https://t.co/Wfzb8DtCY3 pic.twitter.com/elQs1Ykbq5
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 6, 2016
Former president Bill Clinton and his wife, now a Democratic Presidential candidate, remembered Nancy Reagan as an “extraordinary woman, a gracious first lady, proud mother, and devoted wife to President Reagan.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute to the former first lady, describing her as a “great friend of the state of Israel.”
Nancy Reagan, formerly Nancy Davis, was an actress during the ‘40s and ‘50s, and married Ronald Reagan, also an actor, in 1952. Her marriage to the President lasted 52 years until his death in 2004, and many admired their relationship.
The Reagans’ mutual devotion over 52 years of marriage was legendary https://t.co/UWNnPyeNX7 pic.twitter.com/MPw6OqnfDW
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) March 6, 2016
She braved criticism for an expensive renovation of the White House. She was best known for her “Just Say No” program, which aimed to help youth fight drug abuse.
Mrs. Reagan requested that instead of flowers, supporters donate to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation.