(CNN) — Alma Johnson Powell, the wife of the late Secretary of State Colin Powell, has died. She was 86.
Her death was confirmed by the former diplomat鈥檚 chief of staff and family spokesperson, Peggy Cifrino.
鈥�(Powell) was the grounding force of our family,鈥� the couple鈥檚 three children, Michael, Linda and Annemarie, said in a statement provided to CNN. 鈥淒uring childhoods marked by constant moving to new homes, we always felt secure, because home was wherever she stood. She was an exemplary role model for us and for the world. She served our country, alongside our father, with intelligence and grace. We will miss her terribly but take comfort in the fact that she had a life so well-lived and is reunited with our father.鈥�
The Powells were married for nearly 60 years, and Alma was by her husband鈥檚 side during his remarkable and historic military career. The two聽 shortly before he was deployed to Vietnam as a military adviser, and he later rose to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff beginning under President George H.W. Bush and secretary of state during George W. Bush鈥檚 administration.
Four months after the Powells were married, he was sent to Vietnam, leaving Alma to navigate the first few years of her life as a newlywed alone, which she later called 鈥渢he defining experience of my life.鈥�
鈥淧art of who I am is because of my career as a military wife. I think of the military as family,鈥澛犅犫�淒uring the course of our young lives, he was often away. 鈥� So, like many military spouses today, you鈥檙e essentially a single parent. Your job was to make a home wherever you were. Home was where we were as a family, wherever that was.鈥�
In what was believed to be Colin Powell鈥檚 , he told journalist Bob Woodward in July 2021 that his wife was the greatest person he鈥檇 ever known.
鈥淪he was always there for me, and she鈥檇 tell me, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 not a good idea.鈥� She was usually right,鈥� he said.
One of those key decisions involved whether Colin Powell would seek the presidency as a Republican in 1996. He enjoyed immense popularity as a key architect of the American-led coalition鈥檚 victory in the Gulf War, but The New York Times in 1995 that he decided against seeking the office based on the advice of his wife and children, who worried about his safety in a bid to become the first Black commander-in-chief.
鈥淎 Black man running for president is going to be in a dangerous position,鈥� Alma Powell said in 1996, .
At the time of her passing, Powell was聽as chair emeritus of America鈥檚 Promise Alliance, a nonprofit founded by her husband that seeks to help at-risk youths by coordinating the efforts of a 鈥渃ross-sector association of community organizations, businesses, and government organizations,鈥澛犅爐o the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
She also served on the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was on President Barack Obama鈥檚 Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities from 2010 to 2012 and was the advisor to the Red Cross of the military district of Washington during her husband鈥檚 tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs,聽聽to a biography of Alma Powell on the website of America鈥檚 Promise Alliance.
Alma Powell was born on October 27, 1937, in Birmingham, Alabama, Cifrino said. She speech pathology and audiology at Emerson College in Boston and worked for a time as the staff audiologist for the Boston Guild for the Hard of Hearing. According to Cifrino, her work at the guild included 鈥済iving hearing tests, fitting veterans with hearing aids and teaching the deaf to read lips.鈥�
Along with the couple鈥檚 three children, Powell is survived by a niece and two nephews as well as 鈥渃ountless beloved extended family members and friends,鈥� Cifrino said in a statement.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect Colin Powell鈥檚 promotion to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff聽was聽under President George H.W. Bush. It also has been updated with additional background information.
CNN鈥檚 Jamie Gangel and Faith Karimi contributed to this report.
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