Who Is Colin Powell's Wife?
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News broke on October 18 that former secretary of state Colin Powell died at the age of 84. Powell was reportedly in poor health at the time due to an ongoing battle with complications from a COVID-19 diagnosis, per The New York Times. Powell was also immunocompromised, as he was receiving treatment for multiple myeloma. He is one in a growing list of prominent people to die from disease-related complications.
Powell was a legendary political figure, having served as both secretary of state and Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. Many politicians came forward to pay their respects to Powell in the hours after the news broke. Former President George W. Bush released a statement offering his condolences. "He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad," the statement read, per the Sun. "And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man."
Behind every great man is an even more powerful woman. For Powell, that was his wife, Alma.
Alma Powell is just as impressive as her late husband
Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, had a long and enviable romance. At the time of Powell's death, they had been married for nearly 60 years, having met on a blind date in the 1960s, per The New York Times.
Alma is also every bit as smart and accomplished as her late husband. Case in point? She was accepted to Fisk University at just 16, per Heavy. While Powell spent the first part of his life in the army and the second in various political positions, including secretary of state and joint chief of staff, Alma worked as a speech pathologist and audiologist. She told PBS in 2016 about her passion for helping children: "It is essential for us to talk to young people, to know what it is they need... especially those who dropped out of school. What happened? What do you need?"
When she wasn't helping children with their speech issues, she was a dedicated mother to her own. Together Alma and Powell shared three children, Michael, Linda, and Annemarie, per The Sun. Alma is also involved in public life, serving on the board of America's Promise Alliance, an organization she and Powell founded which seeks to improve the future of at-risk American youth. Alma turned her passion for America's Promise Alliance into something creative and, to date, has written two children's books, "America's Promise" and "My Little Wagon."