Woman at center of Roe V. Wade dies, remembered as passionate Christian

The woman who was known as Jane Roe in the landmark Roe V. Wade Supreme Court case, legalizing abortion in the United States, has died.

Norma McCorvey died of heart failure in Katy, Texas on Saturday. She was 69 years old

McCorvey was 22 years old, unmarried, unemployed and pregnant for the third time when she agreed to put her name on the case, fighting for the right to have an abortion.

And for 22 years, McCorvey advocated for women’s abortion rights.

Karen Garnett was a long-time friend of McCorvey’s.

“Once she really came to terms with the reality of Roe vs. Wade, she was so young when she was the plaintiff in the case, she truly didn't know what really it meant,” said Garnett.

It was the last 22 years of McCorvey’s life that her friends say she wants to be remembered by.

Garnett became a close friend of McCorvey’s in 1995 through the church community.

It was then that Garnett says McCorvey had a change of heart and a religious conversion.

“She struggled a lot. She was conflicted about all of that, but through her strong, Christian faith and the love of the church and the Christian community, she really came to know of God's love and mercy and forgiveness,” said Garnett.

Garnett says McCorvey worked through her stance on abortion through retreats and religious reflection, later becoming pro-life instead, marching for the cause and even trying, but failing, to get Roe V. Wade overturned in 2005.

“Norma is passionate, Norma is passionate about whatever she believed in. Once she became pro-life, that was it for her, she was dedicated, she said, I am dedicating my life to undoing this case that bears my name,” said Garnett.

Through her long journey in court and in church, friends say, in the end, McCorvey was at peace with her life and her choices.

“She was won by love. And she never looked back,” said Garnett.

Family and friends are still planning McCorvey’s funeral arrangements.