PHOENIX - Rose Mofford, Arizona's first female governor, died Thursday at the age of 94.

The news was confirmed by her longtime friend and political associate Karen Scates. Scates said Mofford died peacefully at 6:15 a.m. in hospice care in Phoenix.

Scates said Mofford had been moved to hospice care as a precaution early this month after suffering two falls at her Phoenix home.

"She appeared to be recovering and she was especially looking forward to the election," said Scates, who knew Mofford for more than 40 years.

"Yesterday she was asking me about her ballot. She read the paper every day. She had a milkshake every day."

Mofford, famous for her beehive hairdo, false eyelashes and down-to-earth personality, had worked her way up from a job as a state office secretary to become Arizona's first female secretary of state, in 1977. She won re-election to the position twice.

Called herself 'Mother Mofford'

She was secretary of state when she was elevated to governor in 1988, after the impeachment and state Senate conviction of Gov. Evan Mecham.

Athia Hardt, Mofford's press secretary described the period as a "crazed time."

"She had a very calming influence," said Hardt. She and the governor were both natives of Globe.

"She used to call herself 'Mother Mofford' and she was kind of a mothering figure. I think that's partly why she was so good for that time."

Scates recalled a Mofford motto: "She lived by the three R's -- her roots, her religion, and her Rolodex."

"She broke glass ceilings all the way along," Scates said. "She stood for authenticity."

'Inspiration to young girls'

Alfredo Gutierrez, a former state Senate majority leader, said he met Mofford when he was a teenage boy hanging out at the library in Miami, Arizona. Mofford was from neighboring Globe and was friends with the Miami librarian.

"She was an inspiration wherever she'd go, especially to young girls, " said Gutierrez, who served on Mofford's transition team after he left the state Legislature.

"She knew how to talk to people without ever talking down. That was an art."

Grant Woods, a former Republican attorney general whose term in office overlapped with the end of Mofford's term in 1991, compared her arrival in office with that of Gerald Ford, after President Nixon resigned.

"(Ford) famously said, 'Our long national nightmare is over,'" Woods said. "I think she helped end the nightmare that was Evan Mecham's brief run as governor."

Memorial service for Mofford

Mofford's body will be cremated, followed by a private burial, Scates said.

There will be a memorial mass at a later date at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix.

Mofford, the last of six siblings, is survived by two nephews. She was married once but never had any children.

"Which is why we were all her children," Scates said of herself and the countless Arizonans who knew and loved Mofford.

Obama issues statement

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama issued this statement late Thursday:

Michelle and I were saddened to learn of the passing of former Arizona Governor Rose Mofford. Rose was once fired from a government position because her boss "felt it was better to have a man in that particular job." But she was undeterred, eventually rising to become Secretary of State, and then governor – the first woman in Arizona to hold that office. In all, her career in public service spanned more than a half-century. It’s a story of tireless service, steady leadership, and a trailblazing spirit that inspired not only a state where three more women would eventually follow her in office, but an entire country. Rose showed us all what to do when somebody says we’re not good enough because of who we are – don’t believe it. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rose’s family and friends as they remember and celebrate her example.

Gov. Doug Ducey issued this statement:

“I join the citizens of our state, and many across the nation, in mourning the passing of Arizona’s trailblazing first female governor, Rose Perica Mofford. Rose Mofford’s story is a truly unique Arizona story. Rising through the ranks of state government to our state’s top office, she shattered a once-thought-unbreakable glass ceiling and served as an unparalleled role model to many. She was nothing short of an Arizona treasure, and will be deeply missed. Governor Mofford brought people together. Both as a governor and a former governor, she exemplified the ability of leaders to unite us—to put partisanship aside and put our country and our state first. During challenging times for our state, Governor Mofford was the steady hand that led us through and held us together. Governor Mofford’s unwavering commitment to the people of Arizona is illustrated by her decades of public service to make our state a safer, happier, and healthier place to live. Her service should serve as a model for all of us who follow her—serving with heart, determination and putting the needs of Arizona’s most vulnerable citizens first. In honor of Governor Mofford’s life and enduring legacy, I have ordered that all state flags be lowered to half-staff."

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