Former U.S. first lady Betty Ford dies, age 93

Betty Ford

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – Betty Ford, the wife of the  late President Gerald Ford, who overcame alcohol and  prescription drug addictions and helped found a rehabilitation  clinic that bears her name, died  yesterday at the age of 93. “I was deeply saddened this afternoon when I heard of Betty  Ford’s death,” another former first lady, Nancy Reagan, said in  a statement confirming Ford’s death.

Betty Ford

Ford once was dubbed the “fighting first lady” by Time  magazine because of her outspoken political views, which often  differed from those of her husband’s Republican Party.