The First State is mourning the death of the first woman to lead the Delaware National Guard.
Major General Carol Timmons died Sunday at the age of 62.
She retired from the Guard in 2018 after a military career spanning 42 years.
She was nominated to adjutant general of the Delaware Guard by then Governor-elect John Carney the year before, and was one of only four women to lead a state guard.
In a statement, Carney called Timmons a pioneer.
She was the epitome of a public servant,” said Carney in his statement. "She was also just a kind, decent person who put others before herself and lived a life of service.”
Timmons was a veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where she won a bronze star. She flew helicopters and cargo aircraft for both the Army and Air Force.
"She was a true warrior who understood the importance that each service member plays in the defense of our Nation and our way of life," said the current Delaware National Guard Adjudant Gneral Michael Berry in a statement. "She ensured all members of her team had a voice and always put the welfare of her military family members ahead of her own. She was an outstanding officer, leader and role model, and her dedication to our State and Country will be missed."
In a statement, Sen. Chris Coons, who had Timmons as his guest to the 2017 State of the Union, called the former-adjutant general “deeply sincere” and “positive,” adding her “quiet confidence and determination propelled her to the position of a well-respected leader of leaders.”
“The time General Timmons served as Adjutant General was all too short, but she made every day count," added Sen. Tom Carper in his own statement. "It was a joy to know her for almost a quarter of a century and an honor to serve the people of Delaware alongside her.
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester called the news heartbreaking.
"Her groundbreaking and remarkable service to our state was marked by a fierce but humble determination," said Blunt Rochester in a statement. "That determination was evident in the pursuit of her dream of flying combat missions for the United States - a dream deferred by discriminatory regulations but later realized by Gen. Timmons. That determination to serve translated into truly remarkable leadership, when she would eventually become the first female Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard."
