Former Chicago First Lady Maggie Daley Dead at 68

Maggie Daley, the wife of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and a gracious promoter of the city's cultural and educational programs, has died. She was 68. The former Chicago first lady, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, died last night, says a family spokeswoman. Daley had been a reserved and dignified presence at her husband's side during his 22 eventful years as mayor.

When she first learned she had breast cancer in June 2002, Daley said she was shocked. "But you pick up and you move on. ... I'm not alone here. There are a lot of people who have experienced this," Daley said in the weeks after the diagnosis. President Obama said in a statement that her efforts on behalf of the city's children "live on as national models for how to create environments for children to learn and grow outside the classroom." See the Chicago Tribune's obituary here. (More Maggie Daley stories.)