. >> reporter: the reagan's legacy from china, experts like lisa katherine grady say offer a glimpse into the reagan revolution. >> nancy reagan approached the job as she approached everything in her life, in a very head-on, forthright kind of way. >> reporter: often described as guarded and overly protective of her husband, mrs. reagan lived in constant fear for the president's safety, especially after the 1981 assassination attempt on his life. >> the fact that she was this terms after that speaks wonders to the self-discipline that she must have had. >> reporter: after her husband's death in 2004, nancy reagan stayed out of the spotlight, but thanks to programs like her anti-drug campaign, just say no, and countless others, americans won't soon forget her impact. >> i just know there's so many programs that she really got the chance to bring to light that a lot of people dent know about. -- didn't know about. i guess that would be it. >> reporter: so many people sharing their moments of impact that nancy reagan had on them. as we were talking about, the funeral will be on friday.