Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Passes Away

Former First Lady of the United States Betty Ford has passed away. She was the wife of President Gerald Ford (1913-2006), our 38th Chief Executive.

Betty was 93.

Ford, who struggled with alcohol issues earlier in life, may be even better known for having founded the Betty Ford Center near Palm Springs in 1982.

It remains one of the premiere rehab facilities in the world with stars ranging from to Lindsay Lohan and Anna Nicole Smith to Kelsey Grammer, Billy Joel, Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Cash and Liza Minnelli seeking help there.

As First Lady in the mid-1970s, Betty Ford was extremely active in social policy and shattered precedents at the as a politically active presidential wife.

Throughout her husband's term in office, she maintained overwhelmingly popular with Americans despite opposition from some conservatives who objected to her more moderate and liberal positions on social issues.

Ford was an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, and was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy.

R.I.P.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/07/betty-ford-passes-away-at-93/

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