Jacklyn Gise Bezos, the mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has died at the age of 78 following a long struggle with Lewy body dementia, her family confirmed Thursday.
Bezos announced her passing in an emotional Instagram post, saying she died at her home in Miami surrounded by family, including her children, grandchildren, and husband, Mike Bezos.
“After a long fight with Lewy body dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her,” Bezos wrote. “I know she felt our love in those final moments.”
Lewy body dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a progressive brain disorder caused by abnormal protein deposits in nerve cells. The disease impairs movement, memory, and thinking, and can cause visual hallucinations, confusion, depression, and slowed movement. It is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s.
Born in Washington, D.C., Jacklyn moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a teenager. At 17, she gave birth to her first child, Jeff, while still in high school. Determined to build a future, she attended night school after graduating and worked in a bank during the day. There, she met a young Cuban immigrant, Miguel “Mike” Bezos, who worked the night shift. The two married in 1968, beginning what would become a lifelong partnership.
They went on to have two more children, Christina and Mark. Jacklyn devoted herself to raising her family with “compassion, patience, and wisdom,” according to a statement from the Bezos Scholars Program, the leadership foundation she co-founded.
Bezos reflected on his mother’s resilience, noting that she began adulthood far earlier than most. “That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work,” he wrote. “She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity… For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing.”
Her commitment to personal growth never waned. In 1991, at age 45, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey, inspiring others with her belief that “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”
In 2000, Jacklyn and Mike Bezos founded the Bezos Family Foundation, followed in 2005 by the Bezos Scholars Program, which offers leadership opportunities to exceptional students in the U.S. and Africa.
Her passing comes less than two months after her son married Lauren Sánchez in Italy, an event attended by high-profile guests including Oprah Winfrey, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Ivanka Trump.
“We were all so lucky to be in her life,” Bezos wrote. “I hold her safe in my heart forever. I love you, Mom.”
