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Jeff Bezos mum, Jacklyn "Jackie" Gise Bezos has died at 78 after a long fight with Lewy body dementia. She died on August 14 at her home in Miami.
Jeff Bezos announced the news on social media, writing, "After a long fight with Lewy body dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her — her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever."
Diagnosed in 2020, Jackie faced the disease "with the same dignity and courage that shaped every aspect of her life," according to the Bezos Family Foundation, which she co-founded in 2000.
Jeff reflected on his mother's early years, sharing, "Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17. That couldn't have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for."
Jackie's life journey included raising Jeff as a single mother before marrying Miguel "Mike" Bezos in 1968. Together, they had two more children, Christina and Mark. She returned to school later in life, earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at age 45.
The Bezos Family Foundation remembered her as a "devoted mother" who "created a space where everyone felt safe, heard, and cared for." They recalled her countless acts of love, from "making trips to Radio Shack for Jeff" to "hauling drums in the back of the family station wagon for Mark."
In lieu of flowers, the family invites supporters "to support a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to you or to perform a simple act of kindness in her memory." As the foundation stated, "Although Jackie may be gone from our sight, her love remains with us always—a bright shining light that will never fade."
