Israeli First Lady and former Prime Minister's wife. Born in Ukraine, Sonia Gelman emigrated to then-Palestine with her parents at the age of four. In 1942, she enlisted in the British Army, where she served as a nurse. She met Shimon Peres at the Ben Shemen Youth Village, and in 1945 they were married. Throughout her husband's decades-long career as an Israeli politician, she steadfastly maintained her privacy and stayed out of the public arena. After her husband became Israeli President in 2007, they lived separately, with her husband moving to Jerusalem while she remained in Tel Aviv. She passed away in her sleep, apparently of heart troubles. The couple had three children. Although she qualified to be buried in Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jeruselem, where many of the nation's greatest leaders are buried, she preferred to be buried at Ben Shemen Youth Village, where she grew up and met her husband, Shimon Peres.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Sonya Peres, the fiercely private, estranged wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres, died Thursday in Tel Aviv. She was 88.
Her son-in-law and physician, Dr. Raphael Walden, told Israel Radio she died peacefully in her sleep.
Born Sonya Gelman in Ukraine, she emigrated to Israel as a child. She met Peres in high school and they married in 1945. Prior to her marriage, she served as a British army nurse in a military hospital in Cairo.
The couple had three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In her later years, Mrs. Peres quietly volunteered for numerous organizations in Israel.
Throughout her husband's decades-long career, she determinedly stayed out of the public eye. When Peres became president in 2007 and moved to Jerusalem, she remained in their apartment in Tel Aviv.
In a revealing interview on his 87th birthday last year, Peres called his years as president the happiest and most fulfil ling of his political career.
"But on the personal level I'm not as happy, because I really miss Sonya," he told the Yediot Ahronot daily. "She was the love of my life and has remained the love of my life."
Peres' office said he heard the news of her passing in Jerusalem following a meeting with the French foreign minister and rushed to their Tel Aviv home.
Shortly before Peres became president in 2007, Sonya was briefly hospitalized with a heart condition. But she was not known to be ill in recent years.
"She was a symbol of modesty, simplicity and the love of others," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement. "She shunned the limelight all these years, preserved her privacy and worked tirelessly to help the needy. All who knew her admired and appreciated her."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Peres to offer his condolences and offer praise for Mrs. Peres.
Her funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) - Sonya Peres, the fiercely private, estranged wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres, died Thursday in Tel Aviv. She was 88.
Her son-in-law and physician, Dr. Raphael Walden, told Israel Radio she died peacefully in her sleep.
Born Sonya Gelman in Ukraine, she emigrated to Israel as a child. She met Peres in high school and they married in 1945. Prior to her marriage, she served as a British army nurse in a military hospital in Cairo.
The couple had three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In her later years, Mrs. Peres quietly volunteered for numerous organizations in Israel.
Throughout her husband's decades-long career, she determinedly stayed out of the public eye. When Peres became president in 2007 and moved to Jerusalem, she remained in their apartment in Tel Aviv.
In a revealing interview on his 87th birthday last year, Peres called his years as president the happiest and most fulfil ling of his political career.
"But on the personal level I'm not as happy, because I really miss Sonya," he told the Yediot Ahronot daily. "She was the love of my life and has remained the love of my life."
Peres' office said he heard the news of her passing in Jerusalem following a meeting with the French foreign minister and rushed to their Tel Aviv home.
Shortly before Peres became president in 2007, Sonya was briefly hospitalized with a heart condition. But she was not known to be ill in recent years.
"She was a symbol of modesty, simplicity and the love of others," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement. "She shunned the limelight all these years, preserved her privacy and worked tirelessly to help the needy. All who knew her admired and appreciated her."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Peres to offer his condolences and offer praise for Mrs. Peres.
Her funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
Israeli First Lady and former Prime Minister's wife. Born in Ukraine, Sonia Gelman emigrated to then-Palestine with her parents at the age of four. In 1942, she enlisted in the British Army, where she served as a nurse. She met Shimon Peres at the Ben Shemen Youth Village, and in 1945 they were married. Throughout her husband's decades-long career as an Israeli politician, she steadfastly maintained her privacy and stayed out of the public arena. After her husband became Israeli President in 2007, they lived separately, with her husband moving to Jerusalem while she remained in Tel Aviv. She passed away in her sleep, apparently of heart troubles. The couple had three children. Although she qualified to be buried in Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jeruselem, where many of the nation's greatest leaders are buried, she preferred to be buried at Ben Shemen Youth Village, where she grew up and met her husband, Shimon Peres.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Sonya Peres, the fiercely private, estranged wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres, died Thursday in Tel Aviv. She was 88.
Her son-in-law and physician, Dr. Raphael Walden, told Israel Radio she died peacefully in her sleep.
Born Sonya Gelman in Ukraine, she emigrated to Israel as a child. She met Peres in high school and they married in 1945. Prior to her marriage, she served as a British army nurse in a military hospital in Cairo.
The couple had three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In her later years, Mrs. Peres quietly volunteered for numerous organizations in Israel.
Throughout her husband's decades-long career, she determinedly stayed out of the public eye. When Peres became president in 2007 and moved to Jerusalem, she remained in their apartment in Tel Aviv.
In a revealing interview on his 87th birthday last year, Peres called his years as president the happiest and most fulfil ling of his political career.
"But on the personal level I'm not as happy, because I really miss Sonya," he told the Yediot Ahronot daily. "She was the love of my life and has remained the love of my life."
Peres' office said he heard the news of her passing in Jerusalem following a meeting with the French foreign minister and rushed to their Tel Aviv home.
Shortly before Peres became president in 2007, Sonya was briefly hospitalized with a heart condition. But she was not known to be ill in recent years.
"She was a symbol of modesty, simplicity and the love of others," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement. "She shunned the limelight all these years, preserved her privacy and worked tirelessly to help the needy. All who knew her admired and appreciated her."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Peres to offer his condolences and offer praise for Mrs. Peres.
Her funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) - Sonya Peres, the fiercely private, estranged wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres, died Thursday in Tel Aviv. She was 88.
Her son-in-law and physician, Dr. Raphael Walden, told Israel Radio she died peacefully in her sleep.
Born Sonya Gelman in Ukraine, she emigrated to Israel as a child. She met Peres in high school and they married in 1945. Prior to her marriage, she served as a British army nurse in a military hospital in Cairo.
The couple had three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In her later years, Mrs. Peres quietly volunteered for numerous organizations in Israel.
Throughout her husband's decades-long career, she determinedly stayed out of the public eye. When Peres became president in 2007 and moved to Jerusalem, she remained in their apartment in Tel Aviv.
In a revealing interview on his 87th birthday last year, Peres called his years as president the happiest and most fulfil ling of his political career.
"But on the personal level I'm not as happy, because I really miss Sonya," he told the Yediot Ahronot daily. "She was the love of my life and has remained the love of my life."
Peres' office said he heard the news of her passing in Jerusalem following a meeting with the French foreign minister and rushed to their Tel Aviv home.
Shortly before Peres became president in 2007, Sonya was briefly hospitalized with a heart condition. But she was not known to be ill in recent years.
"She was a symbol of modesty, simplicity and the love of others," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement. "She shunned the limelight all these years, preserved her privacy and worked tirelessly to help the needy. All who knew her admired and appreciated her."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Peres to offer his condolences and offer praise for Mrs. Peres.
Her funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
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