Elizabeth Edwards has passed away at the age of 61 years old. She is survived by her estranged husband John Edwards, and her three living children, Kate, Jack and Emma. Elizabeth rose to national fame in 2004, when her husband ran for president, and then took the Democratic vice presidential nomination to John Kerry’s presidential nomination. Many thought that Elizabeth was John’s greatest asset – and as a former lawyer, she had very strong opinions about John’s campaigns. Shortly after losing in 2004, Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer, and she had been battling it ever since.
Elizabeth Edwards has died of cancer, NBC News has confirmed. She was 61.
Gravely ill with cancer that no longer responded to treatment, Elizabeth Edwards was reportedly not in any pain and was surrounded by family and friends, including her estranged husband, at home in North Carolina.
When rumors began to circulate that she had taken a turn for the worse, Edwards’ family announced Monday that her doctors had recommended against any additional treatment.
“Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive,” said the statement her family provided to NBC News. “She is resting at home with family and friends.”John Edwards, from whom Elizabeth Edwards separated last year after he acknowledged fathering a child with a former aide to his unsuccessful vice presidential campaign, was with his wife and their three children: Cate, 28; Emma, 12; and Jack, 10.
[From MSNBC]
Well… at least she was surrounded by her family and the people she loved. Since I don’t give a crap about John, I will offer my condolences to Kate, Emma and Jack. Especially Kate – we’re close in age, and I really like Kate whenever I hear her speak. She seems a lot like her mom, and Kate must be dealing with so much right now. I can’t even think about what it would be like to lose my mom… God. Thoughts and prayers to the family.
Header: Courtesy of WENN.
Oh God ! so sad . RIP great lady.
Awwww this is soo heartbreaking. I am just devastated for her family, her babies espeically. Elizabeth was a strong woman and such a fighter. Elizabeth really inspired me. I wish her nothing but peace and I know that its good that whatever pain she is in has now stopped. I am so heartbroken for her kids, though. RIP Elizabeth.
SO sad.
I hope she found peace.
How very sad for her children.
I wouldn’t wish this on anyone and I only hope that if I should ever get this awful disease that I too can have the grace and dignity Elizabeth Edwards did. God bless you!
May peace be with you and your family Elizabeth.
Wow. I kind of expected this to happen eventually since we all knew her cancer had returned. It sucks that she had to deal with all of John’s BS the last few years of her life. She always seemed like she was a devoted wife and mother.
My condolences to her children. At least now wherever she is, hopefully she has been reunited with her oldest son Wade. Brave lady.
I hope she finally gets the peace she deserves, my condolences to her children.
RIP Elizabeth! My thoughts and prayers are with her family, especially her children.
Super sads
You were a great woman, Elizabeth. You endured so much and tried to make a difference for those who are less fortunate. God bless you and your family.
RIP elizabeth, u deserved a much better husband..:(
Poor Elizabeth, she had such a hard life towards the end, I hope she finds the peace she deserves…
My condolences especially to her young children, I expected this yet, its very sad and surprising. RIP Elizabeth
I think the family knew long before the statements were released yesterday.
I really hope she was able to find some sort of peace before the end, and was able to truly enjoy her children with the time she had left.
And remember, she was a Woman who lived a very interesting and sometimes difficult life, and leaves behind 3 very brokenhearted children. She fought the good fight right up until the end.
I’ve never met the woman, but I did get a little teary eyed when I heard. My condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.
Awwww. God Bless.
she always kept her head above the b.s., and handled what life threw at her with grace and class..RIP
My condolences to her family. They lost a mother/daughter/sister but gained a guardian angel. RIP Elizabeth.
I really hope she found peace and serenity at the end because she was a very bitter woman. She was not “great” in any way. She was a woman who gave up her life for her man and, in the end, discovered it wasn’t worth it. May she rest in peace!!
There was a woman who had grace and dignity and handled herself as a true lady throughout the worst ordeal. God bless her family. After reading her memoirs, there is nothing in me except for respect and admiration for Elizabeth Edwards. Rest in Peace
Oh and mslewis, it seems that you are the bitter one, condemning someone who dies five hours ago-maybe you should consider taking some of your own advice
I hope that her children, especially the younger ones, are surrounded with people who love them and will look after them.
My condolences for those three- their mom was a remarkable woman.
Rest in peace, Elizabeth. I met her twice (once when she was campaigning for her husband, once when she was on a book tour for her first book) and she was a classy lady. She didn’t deserve Rielle.
I lost my own mother early this year, and I know how devastating it is. I hope Cate, Emma, and Jack are ok.
So sad and tragic that she had to deal with personal as well as health issues at the end. I admire her greatly and know her children will carry the strength and love of their mom in their hearts forever. Bless them!
@k.at: ITA-mslewis: maybe she responded to her husband’s affair different than you would, but that does not take away all the good she did in her life.
RIP Mrs. Edwards.
DAMN! I’m really sad about this, and pray that she IS at peace and that her children feel her love for the rest of their lives. My thoughts are with her family and friends.
I hope desperately that there is a heaven where she in now reunited with her son Wyatt. This is devastating news.
Not only did she have to fight cancer, she had to fight an asshole cheating husband (AND his trashy mistress)!! No one should have to deal with that. My heart goes out to her children.
And if that man’s mistress opens her mouth, I swear to Buddha, she should be shot.
Yeah, this one, I felt. RIP Elizabeth. Great woman.
I’m so sad. I was diagnosed with breast cancer the month after she was, and that gave me a sense of kinship with her.
what a wonderful, classy lady. the world is lacking without her.
too bad her husband was a snake.
Poor lady. I hope she finds a better life in heaven than she had on earth.
Donna, I hope you are well now.
Such sad news and I know from personal experience it’s really hard to loose a parent I feel bad for all 3 kids who have gone through so much Kate also having lost her brother @ a young age. And the two little ones living w/ such uncertainty. Here is hoping John steps up to the plate for them. RIP
Rest In Peace, My Condolences to her Children 🙁
Oh no, this is so sad. I lost my aunt a few years ago, I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a parent. My thoughts are with her children.
RIP Elizabeth.
What a woman. I will never look at John Edwards the same. And not even for the affair and pregnancy. It’s after it all came out, and he knew his wife had a finite time on this earth, that he didn’t pull out all stops and make her his priority and make her feel loved and secure and the most important person, so she could die with that feeling. Instead, he kept being so untrustworthy, lying, that she had no choice but to separate while in the end stages of cancer. She even mentioned the thought of her last years spent without a spouse to hold her at night in bed wasn’t what she wanted. What a selfish smuck he is. My mother died of cancer, and I know how important my father was to her during her last months.
@ Jayna – So very well said. God bless.
What a classy lady. My thoughts and prayers go out to her 3 children. May they find the strength to move forward.
Jayna- You put everything I was thinking into words. I’m sorry about your mother.
Rest in Peace. She handled a very difficult situation the best she could. No one should judge her for trying her best.
Very sad. How can John Edwards look in a mirror. When he’s on his deathbed one day, I’m sure he’ll have no regrets.
At the very least, she was able to be with her family, and hopefully as the reports have noted, without pain.
This is so sad =( The way she dealt with life’s challenges was beyond admirable. I can only hope to do so with my own as well as she did. Truly someone her children can be extremely proud of.
My condolences to her 3 children, and the rest of her family. As has been noted by others, I truly hope she’s found peace, and that they can as well.
May God grant her eternal rest. Prayers for her living children. I’d like to believe that her child that she lost years ago was right there to welcome her home with open arms.
Prayers for her children.
What a lady!! Grace envloped her. I hope John Edwards lives with paralyzing guilt and shame for the rest of his sorry life.
May God be with you Elizabeth and your family at this time. I was really impressed by your class, big heart and endurance. I’m glad you are finally free of pain and with your son Wade. God Bless and Rest in Peace.
@ Jayna..I’m so sorry, too
I honestly cannot imagine what the children are dealing with and I personally agree with Kaiser, I don’t give a crap about John (d*ck!!..sorry…), but I am really praying for the comfort of her children and other family and friends. This is just so sad. =( ..as others have said…she had such grace…Rest in peace, Elizabeth
Well said Kaiser. Condolences to her three children. Very sad.
Rest in peace.
RIP. Her husband was an awful person.
RIP, Elizabeth. And many heartfelt condolences to her children. I can’t even begin to imagine their devastation.
@mslewis: You are truly vile. The woman JUST DIED, leaving three children without a mother, and yet you still can’t manage to keep your snide remarks at bay. Graceless lout.
A great loss-this woman was intelligent, articulate,a good mother-and she was a fighter. It’s very, very sad that her husband made the last few years of her life a circus and forced her to use up her precious time and energy to pursue his interests. The affair (and the “love” child) was just a part of a greater whole-he was (and likely still is, even after the loss of his wife) a textbook narcissist.
I pray for all three of the children, although the younger children are going to have the most difficult time. Time to step up and be a decent human being, John. Think of Elizabeth and your children (by Elizabeth) instead of yourself.
All the comments are so heartwarming, so sad that she died and I greatly admire her dignity and grace. God go with the children.
@ Donna – sorry I didn’t read your post before, I hope you are doing well…
…and to all of you above who commented on @mslewis’ post…well said.
So sad.I hope her children have someone who’s helping them through this. I didn’t agree with her politically, but I know she was a wonderful mother that loved her children.
mslewis: you r a PIECE OF SHIT for saying that in this sad time about someone who has just departed this earth!!! Get some class and STFU!!
@mslewis: That was absolutely uncalled for.
R.I.P. Elizabeth. May you and your family find some peace.
mslewis are you for real? She was a strong woman who endured more than anyone should, especially when terminally ill. You should be ashamed of yourself. RIP Elizabeth.
Great comments Kaiser … Wonderful women who always conducted hersef with dignity and grace… I heard a saying the other day non religious but profound…here it is — The soul leaves a body as a school boy jumps through a school door — suddenly, and with joy. I think that is how I choose to look at death… I hope she rests in peace and is reunited with her son who died at 16. Too bad she couldn’t die with her family intact. What a sad day.
Sorry this is so long – but Elizabeth Edwards’ death is really dredging up memories and some regret.
I hope Elizabeth went as peacefully as possible. I hope that Elizabeth knew how much her friends and family loved and cherished her. I hope she felt secure that the lessons she tried to teach her 3 children were not in vain and that they will never forget her and never stop loving her and wondering “what if…”. Elizabeth like my mom had a husband that was all too foulable and committed adultery. All I can say having been the children of two people in a similar situation is it was their marriage and what happened really only effects those two people who made a commitment to each other and shouldn’t jade the impact those people have in their lives and should never be used as a weapon against the surviving spouse.
I and my siblings made this error after our mother died. We attacked and pushed our father away because he had cheated on our mother and we all felt betrayed. BEing the youngest I took it extremely hard knowing that my dad cheated on my mother. I took it to mean that my dad didn’t love my mom nor did he love his children and I couldn’t have been more wrong. My dad did love my mom and only my mom. He loved his children. He did not love the women he had sex with outside his marriage. My dad was taught by his parents that affairs outside of marriage are ok. He only knew what his parents taught him. And my mom knew about the affairs and said nothing until she was dying. Then she threatened divorce she wanted out. My mom silently condoned my dad’s behaviour when she should have put her foot up his arse. Elizabeth put her foot up John’s arse and he paid the price. It’s done and shouldn’t be held against him because if he’s like my dad he will pummel himself to death with regret and guilt and the reminder of his life without the greatest love of his life.
I’ve been there. I lost my mom after a almost ten year battle with a ruthless benign brain tumor. My mom knew she her time was short from the time I was 3 and she spent many days, months & years trying to insure that I and my siblings knew how to care for ourselves and trying to get us to rely on each other. While she was alive she rarely allowed us to cry about her condition preferring instead to impart new & funny memories in our minds. But despite all her effort and knowing that her death ended an extremely painful agonizing life we mourned her hard. We still 25 years later mourn her and want her back.
I hope Elizabeth’s children, John and her friends can forgive themselves for any trespasses they committed against Elizabeth and they know that she loved them regardless of fault and that she would want nothing but the best.
I have and will shed tears for the amazing Elizabeth Edwards
RIP Elizabeth. She was a classy lady who had an enormous amount of stress put on her at an exceedingly difficult time in her life. I feel so bad for her kids, siblings, the rest of her family.
@mslewis, you are a disgusting human (or shall I write inhuman) she was a great woman for all that she endured including CANCER. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. She was a woman who lost a child and many other heartbreaking things that happened to her and not once acted bitter.
@mslewis….i think it is time to run……the people here are very upset.
I have never cried over the death of someone I did not personally know. I cried today. I am heartbroken for her children to lose their mother and be left with that worthless piece of human shit, John.
She gave her life to him, bore his children and stood by him. Her reward? To have him treat her so horribly when she was sick. Like someone else said, I will never look at him the same.
Oh and I cosign everything other posters said to mslewis. You should be ashamed of yourself. Sick. I’ve read some nasty shit in online comments, but that one takes the cake.
May she rest in peace. God Bless her. My prayers are with her family.
May you all be so kind at the next non-Democratic passing or sorrowful news as well. Truly.
Rielle Hunter is scum. Not just for the affair, but for the nerve of her to give the print interview and Oprah interview talking about her “Johnny” and bashing Elizabeth in the print one, especially. What kind of classless woman does that about a terminally ill woman? If John marries this bimbo it is only because she feeds his narcissistic need to be told how great he is. I pray he doesn’t, because you know Elizabeth’s greatest fear was that this trash bucket would be helping to raise her little ones.
Her children must be going through so much. It’s so heartbreaking. My prayers go out to them.
BTW- it’s Cate not Kate.
Poor Elizabeth. I hope she finds the peace that she so badly deserves. She’s had to deal with so much, and hopefully, she’s at peace now.
I wonder what kind of outfit she’ll have on for the funeral.
I feel for her children. No matter how old you are the loss of a parent is pretty hard but harder for the little ones.
I don’t know why such snark over mslewis’ comment. Her timing may have been questionable but sentiment not off.
RIP Elizabeth.
She leaves behind two young children and an older daughter. It is never easy to lose your mother. May peace be with them.
I just want to say how dignifed the CB commentors have been with this post. I found out about Elizabeth’s death on FoxNews, and the comments on that website are truly appalling. To think that some of those people call themselves Christians and think they speak for some sort of eternal truth. It’s dispicable. We will all die, and when we do, all we leave behind is the shadow of who we were in our lives. If you spew hate, you leave nothing but hate. If you live your life with dignity you may rest with dignity.
May you all find your peace and leave this world a little better than you left it.
RIP Elizabeth. We survivors lost a warrior today.
This sad event assures that tomorrow John Edwards will become the least liked man in the USA.
Its heart wrenching and my thoughts are with the whole family. Especially Kate. I was 27 when I suddenly lost my mom to cancer (very out of the blue). Im 30 now and I know what she is going through. A horrible situation all around. Cancer… F-U Cancer!
I never cared for this woman but NO ONE deserves the kind of crap her husband threw her way. I hope she finds in death the peace that eluded her in life.
Rest in Peace Dear Lady.
Elizabeth, you inspired millions and you will be missed! I took to heart what you said about being tested. Thank you for that.
I dont think msleiws is a twat for speaking the truth. I didnt like Edwards either, hence why I stayed away from the post.
Although I’m a staunch Republican, I always liked Elizabeth. She seemed like such a class act. Blessings to her children.
“She was a woman who gave up her life for her man and, in the end, discovered it wasn’t worth it.”
This goes for BOTH sides of the political aisle. How many Republican wives did we have to miserably witness standing humiliated ‘by their man’?
To call a woman who raised children and tried to do some good with her illness ‘not great’ is pretty disgusting and disrespectful about someone who just died.
At this particular moment in time, if you really can’t say anything nice, show some respect for one who no longer exists on the earth as of today and say nothing.
Hey Mslewis is not inhuman for saying this. If that comment were on any other thread, it wouldnt be taken with such extreme sensitivity and would probably be backed by all kinds of people.
Au-contraire, I remember a few months ago there were horribly nasty things said about elizabeth – on this site- and now all of a sudden everyone wants to play loving-person because she has passed. Either you can be kind or not- dont wait until someone has DIED to be nice and realize how much you should have valued them while they were still living, or how much you used them to vent your own negative energies. The major point being made is “she’s dead, therefore you should respect her”– isn’t it a little too late for that?
I dont think she was great or not great. I just dont quite agree with the logic in the posts here, and then the giant reaction against someone displaying the same mentality you yourselves will again show in some different thread. I find it a bit backward.
And side note, just yesterday I read the headline ‘cancer spreads to liver’ and now I read this. Totally taken by surprise 🙁
She had so much to deal with in life, may she truly now be at peace. Thoughts & prayers to her children.
@ohduho (#61)– I’m so sorry for all the pain your family went through losing your mother =( I can’t even imagine what that had to be like. I lack personal experience to relate to what you described (in regards to your parent’s relationship, and how you reacted to your father as a result), but I know that what you’re saying in regards to forgiveness is always the outcome to strive for.
I do feel that a parent’s infidelity effects far more than just the spouse in question, and can create feelings of betrayal through the whole family… as though that parent isn’t concerned for the way it will cause their children to feel, that they’re unconcerned with how much pain it will cause. But I also have a very strong belief that if something is wrong with a relationship, you should address it, or try to move on. As opposed to cheating, which is so hurtful and disrespectful to whomever you’re with. I know it would likely be impossible for me to forgive, or at least to stay with a person who cheated on me.
@hatsumomo (#79)– But in staying away from the post, you were allowing others to pay respect for the loss of a human life, and for the woman’s family, without throwing something negative into the ring just for the sake of saying it. Even though you disagree wtih much of whats being said, you didn’t comment just to be nasty, which is the difference between your tact and Mslewis. No, I don’t think mslewis is ‘inhuman’ for it, but it wasn’t necessary.
I hope she finds peace at last. She really did fight hard. It was hard to watch my grandmother die of BCancer. My heart goes out to her 3 surviving children.
🙁
Very sad for her children. RIP Elizabeth.
@Teehee I think you are putting to much everyone in some people. Being in politics makes you a target for everyone in the States, but I’m glad civility and politeness hasn’t eluded “everyone.”
Like her or not, she has passed and it is sad for a family of children to lose their only responsible parent.
Going to a funeral drunk on crazy, ranting about the dead, and acting a fool is still uncivilized where I come from. We can all at least be nice to the deceased for one day in this situation. She didn’t die from lack of responsibility. Unfortunately, I think like many people who battle for nearly a decade with painful cancer- She was ready to move forward.
regarding mslewis and teehee post. They’re right. The post was when she said she didn’t want John to have custody when she died.
RIP…..you are at Peace now.
Being a NC native, I took this to heart. I always felt that she was cheated out of a loving marriage at the end of her life but then she has said she felt strength and love in her children, close friends and family.
She was an incredible woman and she never wanted to be pitied.
You will be missed Ms. Elizabeth.
I don’t know her personally and I have heard some people say she was not a nice woman. She always came across as intelligent and supportive of her family to me.
All I know is, she has suffered the loss of a child, fought cancer for years, and faced a very public betrayal by her dipshit husband. For all of those things, I hope she is at peace now. I remember reading her comment about not having someone to hold her and comfort her in her illness and it broke my heart. Still does. In that I can relate to her totally.
I hope her children can find comfort as I can not imagine losing my mom.
I feel for her beautiful children. At least she can join her son, Wade, as an Angel to watch over the family they left behind. RIP, Elizabeth, you have earned it during this lifetime.
Yes, I don’t mean that criticism of her as a person makes anyone ‘evil’, it’s just nice to let those who want to send condolences & good wishes to the family do so, without interjecting a negative opinion at this particular time, or at least not in this particular outlet.
I didn’t really agree with a lot of her political views, but as a person, I do think she had some admirable qualities, and went through a lot with dignity.
And fighting cancer is something everyone has been touched by. So it’s good to show the ‘man upstairs’ that we have respect for human life.
As someone here wrote she has been described by some as ‘not nice’, to be fair I am sure that each of us are disliked and described as ‘not nice’ or something else by at least a few people we have known, lord knows I have more than a few detractors. However, this woman was also loved and respected by many people who are mourning her loss and perhaps the old addage ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ should apply when someone has just passed, out of respect for those who saw the best of that person.
Excuse the rant.
RIP Elizabeth, best wishes to the family…if there is a heaven at least she will be reuinted with her son.
Doesn’t make any difference if some of you people liked Elizabeth or not, but there is certainly no need to bash her or make vile comments when she leaves behind 3 grieving children. Good God people, have some shame.
Here’s something worth examining: the Associated Press begins its article on Elizabeth Edwards’s passing by noting “She lost her son to an accident, her hair to cancer, her husband to another woman.” Translation: the three things women are supposed to live for, right? Motherhood, beauty, wifehood. I think she deserves a better obituary. May she rest in peace.
Rest in peace, Elizabeth. I hope you were greeted by your son with open arms.