Atlanta 12/8/2010 10:30:40 PM
News / People

Elizabeth Edwards Had “Easy” Passing Says Friends

A close friend of the Edwards family says Elizabeth Edwards had an “easy passing.” Elizabeth, 61, died Tuesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She passed away at her North Carolina home surrounded by her three children, estranged husband John Edwards and close friends.

"She's at peace," says the friend. “After so much pain the past several years, it was an easy passing, and she deserved that.”

Elizabeth was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. The disease went into remission but returned in 2007. It had spread to her lymph nodes and bones. On Monday, the Edwards family announced Elizabeth’s cancer spread to her liver and treatment was no longer effective.

In her final Facebook post Monday, Elizabeth thanked all of her supporters. "You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human,” she wrote. "But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know. With love, Elizabeth.”

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