Mrs. Ford was, in my opinion, one of the most culturally impacting first ladies of the Twentieth Century. She stood firmly and gracefully by her husband as he served out what some call a not-so-great term as US President, but more than that? She reached beyond that murky title of "First Lady" and laid herself open to the public long after Gerald Ford left office. Her honesty was often jarring, really. But her life mattered because of her courage in presenting an honest look inside that life (that was far from perfect). I came to appreciate President Ford much more than I thought I would, as the years passed. My respect for his wife, however, never faltered. RIP Mrs. Ford.

New York Times article/obituary here.

She was a lady to be admired. She may have had a lot of jokes made about her addictions, but she weathered them like a lady. I admired her as well.