Jeff Bezos’ mother, Jacklyn “Jackie” Gise Bezos, died on Thursday at the age of 78 after a long fight with Lewy body dementia, a brain disorder that can affect thinking, movement, behavior, and mood.
The Amazon founder announced the death of his mother on social media, saying that he and his family “were all so lucky to be in her life.”
“Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17,” the 61-year-old billionaire wrote on Instagram. “That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work.”
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“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,” he continued. “For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing.”
He said his mother “always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”
The Amazon executive chairman said his mother died in her home in Miami surrounded by loved ones. She is survived by her husband Mike, her three children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
“I know she felt our love in those final moments,” he wrote. “We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever.”
“I love you, mom,” he concluded.
An obituary posted to the “Bezos Scholars Program” website described her as a once single mother passionate about nurturing children’s minds through the program, which supports students in the U.S. and Africa.
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“Together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation,” she once said, according to the obituary. “We are not just building brains—we are building the future. Each of us has a role to play, and it will take all of us to really make a difference.”
She helped found the Bezos Family Foundation with her husband, their children, and their families in 2000.
“Although Jackie may be gone from our sight, her love remains with us always—a bright shining light that will never fade. She will be missed beyond words,” the obituary reads.
