Annie Glenn, widow of John Glenn, dies from COVID-19 complications

Annie Glenn, who was a communication disorders advocate and married to astronaut and Ohio senator John Glenn for over seven decades up to his death in 2016, has died at age 100.

Ohio State University's Glenn College of Public Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that Glenn died at a nursing home from COVID-19 complications, The Associated Press reports.

Defense Secretary William Cohen in 1998 hailed Glenn as "a strong voice for children, speech and communications, and the disabled" upon presenting her with a Medal for Outstanding Public Service, according to AP. She struggled with a stutter and told NBC in 1983 that "every word that I utter, I am working on my speech," per Today. "It's something that I am going to have to do all of my life."

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch said "this is a very sad day for all Ohioans," calling Glenn, who was born in Columbus, "certainly our most beloved Ohioan," adding that she "represented all that is good about our country." Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) also paid his respects, saying Glenn was "a true American legend," while the National Air and Space Museum called her "an inspirational voice to many of us over the years" who "become an American hero in her own right."