Mrs. King Has Passed at Age 78

From 11Alive WXIA-TV Atlanta:

Web Editor: Sean Rowe
Last Modified: 1/31/2006 7:59:09 AM

Coretta Scott King, the beloved and outspoken wife of civil rights pioneer Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away at her home in Atlanta about 1 a.m. Tuesday. She was 78.Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young broke the news during a phone call he made to NBC's "Today" show on 11Alive. Asked how he found out about her death, Young said: "I understand she was asleep last night and her daughter tried to wake her up."Mrs. King suffered a stroke and heart attack last August. She had been working toward a recovery at home in Atlanta since her release from the hospital in September.Earlier this month, King made a celebrated public appearance at the Salute to Greatness dinner -- a major fundraiser for The King Center -- in Atlanta. Mrs. King founded the King Center in 1968, shortly after the assassination of her husband in Memphis, Tenn.The Kings were married in 1953 and had four children, Martin Luther III, Yolanda, Dexter and Bernice.