NCBrian

She was 61.

Edwards’ death came just one day after it was made public that her cancer had spread to her liver and that no further medical treatment was being considered.

Like her husband, Edwards was also a lawyer and the two met in law school and were married in 1977.

During John Edwards’ run for the vice-presidency on the 2004 Democratic ticket and his failed quest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nominatio,  Ms.Edwards became a high-profile advocate and surrogate for her husband. The diagnosis of a re-appearance of cancer, this time terminal, was made public the day after the defeat of the Kerry-Edwards ticket in 2004.

She was a fiery and forceful speaker on behalf of her husband’s stated political agenda druing his '08 campaign of narrowing the gap between rich and poor in America.  The couple were also portrayed as a model marriage who had weathered the stunning death of a teenage son in 1996.

Ms. Edwards was also commended for the strength she demonstrated by avidly campaigning while battling terminal cancer.

The rather sunny image of the Edwards marriage collapsed, however, when it was revealed in the summer of 2008 that Senator Edwards had been carrying on an affair with Rielle Hunter.  He later admitted that he was the father of her baby, born during the presidential campaign.

Ms. Edwards’ own image as a selfless crusader for social justice was also tarnished by the publication of a book by a campaign insider that portrayed her as a vindictive and sometimes tyrannical micro-manager as well as a hypocrite who lived a sumptuous lifestyle while crusading for the poor.

Read here for a complete obit on Elizabeth Edwards.