Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Rona Ramon, whose husband was killed in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster and who later lost a son in a military plane crash, has died.
Ramon, who was 54, died Monday of pancreatic cancer, according to Israeli media reports.
Her husband, Ilan Ramon, was Israel's first and only astronaut. Six years after the Columbia crash, their son, Asaf, who had followed in his father's footsteps to become an Israeli air force fighter pilot, was killed in a training accident.
In a 2013 interview, Ramon said she was still unable to discuss the loss of her son, but also tried to "look for meaning in life."
She formed a foundation in memory of her husband and son, and counseled others coping with tragedies.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
