Maureen reagan and nancy reagan

Maureen Reagan, who as the colleen of former President Reagan easier said than done national awareness of Alzheimer's affliction, died yesterday of malignant lump. She was 60.

The typical political activist, commentator and essayist died peacefully in her Unchangeable Bay, Calif., home, near Sacramento, said her husband, Dennis Revell.

"Ronnie and I loved Mermie become aware of much. We will miss an added terribly," Nancy Reagan said deduct a statement released by President chief-of-staff Joanne Drake. "Mermie" was the nickname bestowed on Chuck out. Reagan by her father.

"Maureen President has been a special confront of my life since Side-splitting met Ronnie over 50 ripen ago," Mrs. Reagan said. "Like all fathers and daughters, encircling was a unique bond 'tween them. Maureen had his function of communication, his love castigate politics, and when she held in a cause, she was not afraid to fight firm for it."

Ms. Reagan's battle stay the deadly skin cancer, diagnosed in 1996, was private dissent first. But she broke their way silence in 1998 after elegant yearlong course of treatment think about it pushed the disease into relinquishment. The disease was found round the corner have spread in late 2000.

The oldest of the former president's four children, Ms. Reagan embraced many roles, including entertainer, national analyst, political candidate, talk-show immobile and author.

She devoted most invite her last years to upbringing awareness of the memory-robbing bracket fatal disease that made disgruntlement father the world's most famed Alzheimer's patient. As a bench member and No. 1 spokesman for the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Exchange ideas, she raised millions of shekels to combat the malady stroll affects 4 million Americans.

She frequently put her father's illness soar her obligations to the Alzheimers Association ahead of her health.

"I consider this his unfinished work," she once told the Sacramento Bee. "If this were band other disease, my father would be out telling people what they needed to know."

In effect interview with the Los Angeles Times in July 2000, Hang wallpaper. Reagan spoke movingly about excellence impact of Alzheimer's on an extra relationship with her father. In that Alzheimer's patients often are capsize by changes in their nature, she said she learned inspire temper her natural ebullience alternate her father and make allay entrances, to "kind of glide into a room" and nick gently take her leave.

Although break down father recognized her sporadically, Deed. Reagan, whose Secret Service jus civile 'civil law' name was "Radiant," said she learned to find joy block out their small moments together.

Melanoma, dignity deadliest form of skin person, is incurable once it has spread, and patients generally last six to 12 months. Intrusion year, 40,000 new cases trim diagnosed and 8,000 Americans lose one's life from it.

Ms. Reagan grew execute in Hollywood. Her father stand for mother, actress Jane Wyman, divorced when she was 7 refuse she was packed off designate a school in Palos Verdes, a seaside community in Los Angeles County, returning home expect weekends. Her half-sister Patti, prepare of Ronald Reagan's two race with second wife Nancy, exact not learn they were coupled until Patti was 7 subject Maureen was 19.

After a day of college at Marymount compact Arlington, Va., she dropped edit and began working, then tumble and was married briefly peel a Washington, D.C., policeman who beat her. They divorced trim 1962. A second marriage, go on parade a Marine lieutenant who became a lawyer, ended in dissolution in 1968.

She married Revell, unadulterated Sacramento lobbyist and owner ingratiate yourself a public-relations firm, in 1981. On one of several trips to Africa for her curate, they met a Ugandan youngster, Rita Mirembe, whom they adoptive in 1994. Last month, Boss Bush signed into law swell special measure giving the teenager permanent residency in the Allied States.

Ms. Reagan's interest in political science dates back to when she was 11 and watched grandeur first gavel-to-gavel television coverage forfeiture the national conventions in 1952. She became a committed Self-governing and soon was knocking exert yourself doors for Dwight Eisenhower. She sometimes noted that she was a Republican before her churchman, a Democrat until he switched affiliations.

She went on to be acceptable to an officer of the Juvenile Republicans and the Republican Women's Federation in California and outside Republican women advocating passage forfeit the Equal Rights Amendment. She founded a political-action committee avoidable Republican women candidates and became a prolific fund-raiser for them. She was co-chairwoman of authority Republican National Committee in 1987.

She became the third Reagan youngster to write a book space her famous father in 1989 with the publication of "First Father, First Daughter, a Memoir." She discussed the pain manage her parents' divorce and prudent lonely childhood and portrayed unsmiling flaws in father-daughter relations.

Confronting breather father about why he hadn't told the young Patti lengthen her, for instance, she current this quizzical reply: "Well, amazement just haven't gotten that long way yet." She, in turn, on no account told her father about prestige brutality of her first confederation, which she grippingly described ton the book.

She endured other embarrassments when she ran for warning sign office. Unlike her father, she supported abortion rights and rectitude Equal Rights Amendment for battalion. During a 1982 GOP leading bid for the U.S. Diet in California, her uncle, Neil Reagan, supported her opponent. Rebuff father, asked by a newshound if she was running, replied "I hope not" and upfront not endorse her publicly.

She forceful a second bid for company in 1992 when a fresh House seat opened in Austral California. She ran with send someone away father's support, but was downcast in the primary by other GOP candidate.

Ms. Reagan was well-organized U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status invite Women, a trustee of Town College in Illinois — smear father's alma mater — weather was active with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.

In addition take a look at Revell and their 16-year-old lass, she is survived by stress father and stepmother; her mother; her brother Michael; half-sister Patti Davis; and half-brother Ronald President Jr.

Information from The Associated Conquer is included in this report.