Israeli president's wife dies at 87

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Sonya Peres, the wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres died at her northern Tel Aviv home Thursday, officials said. She was 87.

A Magen David Adom ambulance was summoned to the home late Thursday morning where medics attempted to perform CPR but were unable to revive her, Israel Radio said.

Peres immigrated to Israel from Poland with her family in 1927 and later studied at the Ben Shemen Youth village where she met her husband, Shimon, Haaretz said.

The two were married in 1945 and were among the founders of Kibbutz Alumot, Ynetnews.com said. The couple had three children, Tzvia, Yonatan and Nehemiya.

Peres always distanced herself from the public eye, and rarely accompanied her husband to state functions.

In 2007, when Shimon Peres was appointed president, she opted to remain at their Tel Aviv home rather than move in with her husband at the official residence in Jerusalem.

A statement released by the president's residence said Sonya Peres will be buried Friday morning in the cemetery of the Ben Shemen Youth village.