Wife of Lamar Alexander dies at age 77, family says
Wife of Lamar Alexander dies at age 77, family says
RALEIGH (AP) — Wife of Lamar Alexander died on Monday at age 77, the family said.
Carol Alexander, widow of Lamar Alexander, has died. She was 77.
Carol Alexander and Lamar Alexander, both of Raleigh, were married in 1977. They had two children, a daughter, Ashley, and a son, Andrew.
Lamar Alexander died from complications from lung cancer.
The governor’s office put out a brief statement:
The Governor’s office has learned of the passing of Carol Alexander, wife of Governor Lamar Alexander.
Carol was a dedicated public servant whose long service in the State Highway and Public Works Administration reflects the very best of public service in all of North Carolina, especially her commitment to the education of children. She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her family wishes to express heartfelt gratitude for the love, support and prayers shared by her countless friends and colleagues throughout her seven decades of service to North Carolina.
“Carol played an invaluable role in my early years serving as an assistant state director for highway and road construction,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “She was a tireless advocate for the education of children. For her commitment to children, I will be forever grateful.”
Lamar Alexander, a Republican and the state’s governor from 1997 to 2007, died in March.
He was married to Carol Alexander, a Democrat and a former television journalist who was a state employee.
Lamar Alexander, who served from 1987 to 2012, is believed to have terminal lung cancer. He underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment that were both successful, but the cancer kept him from running for re-election this year. Alexander’s wife said in April that she and her husband had decided to forgo their final three years of Medicare in-patient hospital care that would have allowed them to “spend the rest of