Sonia Peres, wife of Israel’s President Shimon Peres, died in Tel Aviv on Thursday morning at the age of 87. Sonia Gelman was born in Poland in 1923 and went to Palestine with her parents in 1927. There, she met her future husband at school. In 1942, she enlisted in the British Army, where she served as nurse in an army hospital near Cairo. She was later made a truck driver for the British Army and drove across Europe several times. Sonia and Shimon Peres were married in May 1945, and were amongst the founders of Kibbutz Alumot, in northern Israel.
Sonia Peres was known for being private and did not go to many political events. When her husband was elected head of state in 2007, she chose not to move to the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and stayed at the family home in Tel Aviv. In an interview on his 87th birthday last year, Peres called his years as president the happiest and most fulfilling of his political career. "But on the personal level I'm not as happy, because I really miss Sonia’. She was the love of my life and has remained the love of my life,” he told the newspaper ‘Yediot Ahronot’.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sonia Peres’ passing: "Sonia Peres was a special woman and person. She was a symbol of modesty, simplicity and love of her fellow man. She made sure to stay away from the spotlight and keep her life private. She constantly helped those in need; everyone who knew her appreciated her. May her memory be blessed."
