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UP FRONTMonday 7 March 2016

Former first lady Nancy Reagan dies at 94 in California

In this photo, President George W. Bush looks at former first lady Nancy Reagan during dedication at his presidential library in and found them a comfort
ceremonies for the retired Air Force One Boeing 707 aircraft at the Ronald Reagan Presidential California, where he had when he could no longer
Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press served as governor. remember her.
confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016. She also championed Al- After Reagan was shot by
zheimer’s patients, raising John Hinckley just three
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) millions of dollars for re- months into his presidency,
search and breaking with he was said to have fa-
fellow conservative Repub- mously wisecracked to her,
licans to advocate for stem “Honey, I forgot to duck.”
cell studies. In announcing his Alzheim-
er dignity and persever- er’s diagnosis in 1994, Rea-
ance in these post-White gan wrote, “I only wish
House roles helped smooth there was some way I
over the public’s fickle per- could spare Nancy from
ceptions of the former first this painful experience.”
lady. Ten years later, as his body
The Reagans’ mutual de- lay in state in the U.S. Capi-
votion over 52 years of tol, Mrs. Reagan caressed
marriage was legendary. and gently kissed the flag-
They were forever holding draped casket.
hands. As the newly arrived first
She watched his political lady, Mrs. Reagan raised
speeches with a look of more than $800,000 from
such steady adoration it private donors to redo the
was dubbed “the gaze.” White House family quar-
He called her “Mommy,” ters and to buy a $200,000
and penned a lifetime of set of china bordered in
gushing love notes. She red, her signature color.
saved these letters, pub-
lished them as a book, Continued on page 3

C. WEBER nist throwback, concerned In this 2009 photo, President Barack Obama escorts former first lady Nancy Reagan after signing
Associated Press only with fashion, decorat- the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, during a ceremony in the Diplomatic Reception
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nan- ing and entertaining. By Room of the White House in Washington.
cy Reagan, the helpmate, the time she moved out
backstage adviser and eight years later, Mrs. Rea- (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
fierce protector of Ronald gan was fending off accu-
Reagan in his journey from sations that she was a be-
actor to president — and fi- hind-the-scenes “dragon
nally during his 10-year bat- lady” wielding unchecked
tle with Alzheimer’s disease power over the Reagan
— has died. She was 94. administration — and do-
The former first lady died ing it based on astrology to
Sunday at her home in the boot.
Bel-Air section of Los Ange- All along she maintained
les of congestive heart fail- that her only mission was
ure, assistant Allison Borio to back her “Ronnie” and
told The Associated Press. strengthen his presidency.
Her best-known project as Mrs. Reagan carried that
first lady was the “Just Say charge through the rest of
No” campaign to help kids her days.
and teens stay off drugs. She served as a full-time
When she swept into the caretaker as Alzheimer’s
White House in 1981, the melted away her hus-
former Hollywood actress band’s memory. After his
partial to designer gowns death in June 2004 she
and pricey china was wide- dedicated herself to tend-
ly dismissed as a pre-femi- ing his legacy, especially