Besides the former president, Stapleton had an older sister, Gloria (1926–1990), and a younger brother, Billy (1937–1988).

[1] Stapleton attended Georgia State College for Women, earned her bachelor's in English from Methodist University, and her master's in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Stapleton suffered from chronic depression,[3] and was involved in a car accident that nearly killed her during the time immediately following her children's births.

[5] In 1977, she became friends with pornographer Larry Flynt and managed to briefly convert him to Christianity.

[6] One month after her death, her mother died of breast cancer, aged 85.