Wife of Lamar Alexander dies at age 77
Karen Allen, who was married to Lt. Gen. Alexander, died at a hospital on Saturday. She was 76.
The couple had been married for 56 years.
Allen said she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011 and had just undergone tests to find out whether it was a recurrence. She had been living with it at home in Raleigh.
Karen Allen is seen here with Lamar Alexander, who is seen here shaking his wife’s hand.
“I think it was a blessing to live through my husband’s death,” Allen told “The News & Observer” of Raleigh, North Carolina. “I think that it’s made me more aware of what’s important in life than I’ve ever been before. And I know now that I’ll never ever be able to live without him.”
Alexander, who is believed to be the first black man in U.S. history to receive the Medal of Honor, died in February after a long struggle with cancer, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He was 77. He was named to the U.S. Army’s highest military decoration after the Vietnam War and went on to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of U.S. Central Command.
After the announcement of his death, President Barack Obama described Alexander as a “warrior, a scholar and a gentleman.”
The two had been married for 56 years and had no children.
The couple’s wedding reception – attended by President Obama, Vice President Biden and their children – will be held at the White House on Monday, an official said.
When they got married, Alexander was serving as director of the U.S. Army’s Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force. He became commander of U.S. Central Command in 2008, with the rank of general, according to the Department of Defense. He was previously a distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West
