Jacklyn Gise Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, dies.

Jeff Bezos’ mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, has died at 78 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, the Amazon founder said Thursday.

In an Instagram post, Bezos wrote that she died surrounded by family.

Born December 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C., Jackie’s life was defined by grit, compassion, and service. She raised her first child, Jeffrey, as a young single mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico, working at a bank by day and taking night classes. There she met Cuban immigrant Miguel “Mike” Bezos, who became her husband and partner of nearly 60 years.

Together, they raised three children — Jeff, Christina, and Mark — in a home that doubled as a community hub. Friends of her children found warmth, advice, and a listening ear under her roof. “She had a remarkable way of making people feel like family,” her loved ones said.

At 45, Jackie returned to school, earning a Bachelor of Arts with high honors in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University. Her belief in lifelong learning became a hallmark of her work, especially through the Bezos Family Foundation, which she co-founded in 2000. The foundation’s programs — including Vroom, which translates brain science into parenting tools, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which supports students in the U.S. and Africa — reflected her conviction that “together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation.”

Her philanthropic reach extended to healthcare, particularly in support of groundbreaking cancer immunotherapy research at Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

Family remained her greatest joy. Known as “Marmie” to her 11 grandchildren, she hosted “Camp Marmie” each summer, filling it with adventure, creative problem-solving, and laughter.

She is survived by her husband Mike, her three children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Source: www.indiatoday.in

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