Joan Mondale, a passionate arts supporter and the wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, died at age 83 on Monday.
The family announced her death in a statement through their church. She had gone into hospice care in Minneapolis, Minn., early on Friday.
Her husband, sons Ted and William, and other family members were at her side, the statement released by Westminster Presbyterian Church said.
"We are grateful for the expressions of love and support we have received. Joan was greatly loved by many. We will miss her dearly," said her husband, the former vice president.
Mondale earned the nickname "Joan of Art" while her husband was vice president under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Carter appointed her honorary chairwoman of the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities, a role that led to frequent visits to museums, theaters and art studios on the behalf of the administration. She also lobbied Congress and states to boost public funding for art programs.
In the vice-presidential home, she showcased famous American artists, including outdoor photographer Ansel Adams, sculptor David Smith and painter Georgia O'Keeffe.
Her enthusiasm for the cause earned widespread praise from the arts community, including from Jim Melchert, director of the visual arts program for the National Endowment for the Arts during Carter's administration, The Associated Press reported.
"Your rare fire has brightened many a day for more people than you may imagine," Melchert wrote to her after the 1980 Carter-Mondale re-election defeat. "What you've done with style and seeming ease will continue illuminating our world for a long time to come."
Her husband – who also served more than 20 years in the Senate -- ran for president in 1984, but lost to incumbent President Ronald Reagan.
She was born Joan Adams in Eugene, Ore., on Aug. 8, 1930, according to the AP. She later moved to St. Paul, Minn., where her father, a Presbyterian Minister, had taken an assignment.
She earned an undergraduate degree at Macalester College, a liberal arts school her husband also attended.
A service will be held on Saturday at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, the family's statement said.
RIP Joan. You were a wonderful Second Lady. You would have been a much better First Lady than those bitches Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush. My thoughts, prayers, and sympathies go out to Walter, Ted, and Bill.
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