Editing Elizabeth Edwards (section)

{{Short description|American attorney (1949–2010)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Elizabeth Edwards
| image       = Elizabeth Edwards in Ames, Iowa (2158013445) (2).jpg
|caption=Edwards in 2008
| birthname   = Mary Elizabeth Anania
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1949|7|3}}
| birth_place = [[Jacksonville, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2010|12|7|1949|7|3}}
| death_place = [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Historic Oakwood Cemetery]]
| occupation  = Attorney
| predecessor = 
| successor   = 
| spouse      = {{Marriage|[[John Edwards]]|1977|2010|end={{abbr|sep.|separated}}}}
| children    = 4, including [[Cate Edwards|Cate]] 
| party       = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| education   = [[University of Mary Washington]]<br>[[University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Juris Doctor|JD]])
}}
'''Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards''' (July 3, 1949 – December 7, 2010) was an American attorney, author, and health care activist. She was married to [[John Edwards]], the former [[U.S. Senator]] from [[North Carolina]] who was the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] vice-presidential nominee in the [[2004 U.S. presidential election]].

Edwards lived a private life until her husband's rise as senator and ultimately unsuccessful vice presidential and [[John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign|presidential campaigns]]. She was his chief policy advisor during his presidential bid,<ref name="wp">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/07/AR2010120707268_pf.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Lived her private pain on a public stage |date=December 7, 2010 |access-date=December 7, 2010 |page=A01 |author=Sullivan, Patricia}}</ref> and was instrumental in pushing him towards more liberal stances on subjects such as [[universal health care]].<ref name="wp" /> She was also an advocate for [[gay marriage]],<ref name="yahoo-obit">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20101208/pl_ac/7360104_elizabeth_edwards_supported_gay_marriage_and_equality |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212114859/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20101208/pl_ac/7360104_elizabeth_edwards_supported_gay_marriage_and_equality |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 12, 2010 |title=Elizabeth Edwards Supported Gay Marriage and Equality |date=December 8, 2010 |access-date=December 13, 2010 |author=Evans, Vanessa |publisher=[[Yahoo News]] contributor |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and was against the [[Iraq War]],<ref name="wp" /> both topics about which she and her husband disagreed.<ref name="wp" />

In the final years of her life, Edwards publicly dealt with her husband's admission of an [[John Edwards extramarital affair|extramarital affair]] and her [[breast cancer]], writing two books and making numerous media appearances.<ref name="saving">{{Cite book|title=Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers|author=Edwards, Elizabeth|publisher=[[Random House]]|date=September 2006|isbn=978-0-7679-2537-2|url=https://archive.org/details/savinggraces00eliz}}</ref><ref name="resilience">{{cite book|last=Edwards|first=Elizabeth|title=Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities|year=2009|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-7679-3136-6|url=https://archive.org/details/resiliencereflec00edwa}}</ref> She separated from John Edwards in early 2010.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/01/elizabeth-edwards-says-shes-separated-from-john/1 |work=USA Today | title=Elizabeth Edwards says she's separated from John | date=January 27, 2010 | access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref> On December 6, 2010, her family announced that her cancer [[Metastasis|had spread]] and that her doctors had stated that further treatment would be unproductive. She died the next day.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]] |date=December 7, 2010 |access-date=December 13, 2010 | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/12/07/2010-12-07_elizabeth_edwards_dead_at_61_after_highprofile_breast_cancer_fight.html |author=Kennedy, Helen | title=Elizabeth Edwards, 61, dies after battle with cancer, surrounded by family, estranged husband John}}</ref>