RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Carrie Rozelle, 69, the widow of former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, has died of cancer at her home in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
A child advocate, Rozelle started the Foundation for Children With Learning Disabilities in 1977 after working with son Jack whose severe dyslexia and sense of failure caused him to behave violently, The New York Times reported Monday.
Rozelle said her commitment to raise awareness about the effects of learning disabilities came from her own family's struggle with Jack.
During her 12 years as chairwoman, the foundation provided grants for public awareness programs, ran parent education workshops and created books and filmstrips for children, the Times said. Its name was changed to the National Center for Learning Disabilities in 1989.
Born Carolyn Dyke in Ontario, Canada, Rozelle's first marriage to the late Ralph Kent Cooke, son of Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke, ended in divorce after 13 years.
She is survived by a daughter, two sons and five grandchildren.
Pete Rozelle, who was NFL commissioner from 1960-89, died in 1996.
