(AP) -- Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, died Tuesday after a six-year fight with cancer, her family said. She was 61.
"Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence but she remains the heart of this family," the statement said. "We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life. On behalf of Elizabeth we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family."
A family friend said she died in North Carolina at 10:15 a.m.
The family asked that donations be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation which benefits the Wade Edwards Learning Lab. He was the Edwards' teenaged son who died in a car accident.
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