Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan, the helpmate, backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan in his journey from actor to president – and finally during his 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease – has died. She was 94.

Section:Gallery

Sun., March 6, 2016

Ronald Reagan and his bride, Nancy, after their marriage in California on March 4, 1952.
This Jan. 20, 1981 file photo, shows President Ronald Reagan as he gives a thumbs up to the crowd while his wife, first lady Nancy Reagan, waves from a limousine during the inaugural parade in Washington following Reagan's swearing in as the 40th president of the United States. Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, marks the centennial anniversary of Reagan's birth.
President Ronald Reagan cuts-in on a dance between Frank Sinatra and Nancy Reagan in this Feb. 6, 1981, file photo. It is reported that Reagan died on Saturday, June 5, 2004 at 93.

Mike Evans Associated Press
In this March 16, 1983, file photo, first lady Nancy Reagan, left, gets a laugh with Ray Charles, center, and Willie Nelson, right, and other entertainers at a salute to country music at Constitution Hall in Washington. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Ira Schwarz Associated Press
President Ronald Reagan and Mrs. Nancy Reagan are pictured standing on the Great Wall in Peking, China in this April 28, 1984, file photo.

Bob Daugherty Associated Press
In this May 14, 1984, file photo, Michael Jackson, center, stands with President Ronald Reagan, left, and first lady Nancy Reagan on the south lawn of the White House prior to receiving an award from the president for his contribution to the drunk driving awareness program. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Scott Stewart Associated Press
In this July 18, 1985, file photo, President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, wave from windows of his hospital room at the Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Scott Stewart Associated Press
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan walk to the waiting presidential helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, in this July 12, 1986, file photo, en route to spend the weekend at Camp David, Maryland.

Ron Edmonds Associated Press
This December 1986, file photo shows first lady Nancy Reagan holding the Reagans' pet Rex, a King Charles spaniel, as she and President Reagan walk on the White House South lawn. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Dennis Cook Associated Press
Former President Ronald Reagan is kissed by his wife Nancy in this photo made inside their Bel-Air home in Los Angeles, Feb. 6, 2000, on Reagan's 89th birthday.
In this June 11, 2004, file photo, former first lady Nancy Reagan kisses the casket of her husband former President Ronald Reagan prior to the removal of his remains from the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Elise Amendola Associated Press
In this Oct. 21, 2005, file photo, President George W. Bush looks at former first lady Nancy Reagan during dedication ceremonies for the retired Air Force One Boeing 707 aircraft at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Kevork Djansezian Associated Press
In this June 2, 2009, file photo, President Barack Obama escorts former first lady Nancy Reagan after signing the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, during a ceremony in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Haraz N. Ghanbari Associated Press
In this June 3, 2009, file photo, former first lady Nancy Reagan speaks in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, during a ceremony to unveil a statue of President Ronald Reagan. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Alex Brandon Associated Press
FILE - In this July 5, 2012, file photo, former first lady Nancy Reagan, center, Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger, right, and Frederick J. Ryan Jr., chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, celebrate the opening of the D23 Presents Treasures of Walt Disney Archives exhibit at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Jae C. Hong Associated Press
FILE - In this June 5, 2014, file photo, former first lady Nancy Reagan visits the grave site of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, in Simi Valley, Calif. The former first lady has died at 94, The Associated Press confirmed Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Mark J. Terrill Associated Press