The mother of tech pioneer Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and Blue Origin, has died. Jacklyn “Jackie” Bezos was 78.
The news was shared by her philanthropic organization, the Bezos Family Foundation, on Aug. 14.
“Jackie died peacefully in her Miami home on August 14th, at the age of 78,” a tribute on the foundation’s home page reads. “A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others.”
According to the announcement, Bezos had been living with Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder, for five years following her diagnosis in 2020.
According to the National Institute on Aging, the disease is “associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain.” As the deposits gradually affect the brain’s chemicals, a person’s “thinking, movement, behavior, mood, and other body functions” are impacted.
The mother of three, who also has 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, “battled with the same dignity and courage that shaped every aspect of her life,” according to the foundation. The announcement added: “Mike, her husband and partner for more than a half century remained by her side at every step of this journey.”
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Jeff Bezos for comment.
Jackie Bezos, a “relentless” single mom to son Jeff, met “a young Cuban immigrant” named Miguel “Mike” Bezos, who was doing night shifts at the bank where she worked. They were married April 5, 1968, and welcomed two more children, Christina and Mark.
According to the foundation, Jackie Bezos returned to school and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1991 when she was 45.
“In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to support a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to you or to perform a simple act of kindness in her memory,” the foundation said.
The news comes more than a month after Jeff Bezos’ lavish Italian wedding to Lauren Sánchez Bezos, his second wife. Sánchez Bezos called the ceremony “extremely intimate,” with a guest list of 200 people, in a Vogue magazine exclusive. Around 70 of their guests were family members.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackie Bezos dies: Jeff Bezos’ mother dead at 78
