Jeff Bezos mourns mother Jacklyn Bezos, who passed at 78 after battling Lewy body dementia, leaving a lasting legacy. Photos/X.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, announced on Thursday the death of his mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, who had been battling Lewy body dementia. She passed away at the age of 78, surrounded by her family at her Miami home.
In an emotional tribute on Instagram, the 61-year-old billionaire reflected on his mother’s extraordinary dedication as a parent.
“Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17,” Bezos wrote.
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“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.”
Bezos highlighted her boundless love and care, “her list of people to love never stopped growing… she always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”
Jacklyn Bezos was also a passionate educator and founder of the Bezos Scholars Program, which operates in the United States and Africa. The program focuses on nurturing children’s minds and preparing them to create meaningful change.
An obituary posted on the program’s website highlighted her dedication, “together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation,” she wrote. “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.”
While the official cause of death was not disclosed, the Foundation noted that she had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020.
Jacklyn was born on December 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C. She gave birth to Jeff at the age of 17 with her first husband, Ted Jorgensen, before the couple separated when Jeff was a toddler.
In 1968, she married Miguel “Mike” Bezos, a Cuban immigrant, forming a partnership that lasted nearly six decades. The couple famously invested nearly $250,000 in Jeff’s fledgling company, Amazon, in 1995.
A devoted mother to Jeff, Christina, and Mark, Jackie balanced work, night school, and family life. She was known for taking countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, supervising cheerleading practice for Christina, and transporting Mark’s drums in the family station wagon.
Bezos shared that Jackie passed surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and Mike. “I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life,” he wrote. “I hold her safe in my heart forever… I love you, mom.”
Jeff’s wife, Lauren Sánchez, also commented on the post, “we will miss her SO much. Love you.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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