Elizabeth Edwards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Edwards
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Edwards in 2008
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Mary Elizabeth Anania
July 3, 1949 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
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| Died | December 7, 2010 (aged 61) |
| Education | University of Mary Washington University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 4, including Cate |
Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards (born July 3, 1949 – died December 7, 2010) was an American lawyer, writer, and health care supporter. She was married to John Edwards, who was a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was also a candidate for Vice President in the 2004 United States election.
Elizabeth Edwards lived a quiet life for many years. This changed when her husband became a senator. She was a key advisor during his campaigns for president. She helped him support ideas like universal health care for everyone. She also believed in gay marriage and was against the war in Iraq. She and her husband sometimes had different opinions on these topics.
She separated from John Edwards in early 2010. On December 6, 2010, her family shared sad news. Her cancer had spread, and doctors said more treatment would not help. She passed away the next day.
Contents
Growing Up: Elizabeth Edwards' Early Life
Mary Elizabeth Anania was born in 1949. Her parents were Mary Elizabeth Thweatt Anania and Vincent Anania. She grew up in a military family. This meant her family moved many times. She never had one hometown.
Her father was a United States Navy pilot. He was often transferred to different military bases. For a time, she even lived in Japan. She wrote in her book Saving Graces that moving during her last year of high school was hard. She also remembered attending funerals for friends whose fathers died in war. Living on a military base was stressful. She saw many wounded soldiers while her father was away fighting in Vietnam.
Elizabeth had two younger siblings. Her brother, Jay Anania, teaches film at New York University. Her sister is Nancy Anania. Elizabeth graduated from Francis C. Hammond High School in Alexandria, Virginia. She then went to Mary Washington College. Later, she transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). There, she earned a Bachelor's degree. After studying English for three years, she went to UNC's School of Law. She earned a Juris Doctor degree, which means she became a lawyer.
Elizabeth Edwards' Career and Books
Elizabeth Edwards started her career as a judicial law clerk for a federal judge. In 1978, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee. She worked at a law firm there. In 1981, she and her husband moved to Raleigh. She worked for the North Carolina Attorney General's office. She also worked at another law firm.
She used her maiden name, Anania, until 1996. After her son Wade passed away, she changed her name to Elizabeth Anania Edwards. This was in his memory. After leaving law, she spent much time helping the Wade Edwards Foundation. She also taught legal writing at the University of North Carolina School of Law. She even worked as a substitute teacher in public schools. In 2009, she opened a furniture store in Chapel Hill.
In 2006, she published her first book, Saving Graces. It was about how friends and strangers helped her through tough times. These included her childhood moves, her son's death, and her first fight with breast cancer. In 2009, her second book, Resilience, came out. In this book, she talked about her illness returning. She also wrote about the deaths of her father and son. Both of her books became bestsellers.
Elizabeth Edwards' Political Involvement
During 2004, Elizabeth Edwards joined her husband, John Edwards, on his campaign. He was running for Vice President of the United States. She played a similar role in his 2008 presidential campaign. She was one of his closest advisors.
Elizabeth Edwards had different views from her husband on same-sex marriage. She became a strong supporter of it in 2007. She said, "I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage."
In 2008, it was announced that Elizabeth Edwards would advise Barack Obama. He was a rival of her husband but later became the Democratic nominee. She advised him on healthcare issues. Her husband also supported Obama later in the 2008 primary elections.
Elizabeth Edwards also became a senior fellow at the American Progress Action Fund. She spoke to Congress about healthcare reform for this group.
Elizabeth Edwards' Family Life
Elizabeth Anania met John Edwards when they were both studying law. They got married on July 30, 1977.
Early in their marriage, they had two children. Their son, Lucius "Wade", was born in 1979. Their daughter, Catharine "Cate", was born in 1982. Sadly, Wade died at age 16 on April 4, 1996. He lost control of his Jeep and crashed while driving. This happened on his way to the family's beach house.
Just three weeks before he died, Wade was honored by First Lady Hillary Clinton. He was one of ten finalists in an essay contest. After Wade passed away, his essay and obituary were put into the Congressional Record. Wade was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh.
After Wade's death, Elizabeth and John decided to have more children. They had a daughter, Emma Claire, born in 1998. Their son, John "Jack", was born in 2000.
Elizabeth Edwards' Illness and Passing
On November 3, 2004, Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. She became an activist for women's health and cancer patients. She received cancer treatments. In 2006, she shared that her doctor said her cancer was not active.
However, on March 22, 2007, John and Elizabeth announced that her cancer had returned. They said his campaign for President would continue. She was not showing symptoms at that time. She expected to be an active part of the campaign.
On December 6, 2010, Elizabeth Edwards' family announced that she had stopped cancer treatment. Doctors told her that more treatment would not help. The cancer had metastasized to her liver. She was told she had only a few weeks to live. Her family, including her estranged husband John, were with her. She posted a final message on Facebook:
You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.
Elizabeth Edwards passed away the next day at home in Chapel Hill. She was 61 years old. Her funeral was held at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh. Over 1,200 people attended, including important politicians. Her marble monument was created by sculptor Robert Mihaly. She was buried with her son Wade in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.
See also
- John Edwards presidential campaign, 2004
- John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008
- United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1998
