CNN
,
Marian Robinson, the mother of former first lady Michelle Obama, has died, according to a statement from the Obama and Robinson families. She was 86.
“As a sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend to many, she was beloved by countless people whose lives were improved by her presence,” said the statement issued on behalf of Barack and Michelle Obama, Craig and Kelly Robinson, and their children.
“He passed away peacefully this morning and at this point none of us are sure how we will move forward without him,” the statement said.
“My mom, Marian Robinson, was my rock, always there for me, tending to my every need. She was a steady support for our entire family, and we are deeply saddened to share that she passed away today,” Michelle Obama posted on social media.
“There was and will only be one Marian Robinson. In our grief, we are heartened by the extraordinary gift of her life. And we will spend the rest of our lives trying to follow her example,” Barack Obama written on x,
President Joe Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president, and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement Saturday that their family “sends its deepest love” to the Obamas.
“We knew Mrs. Marian Robinson as a devoted mother and grandmother who loved her family immensely and unconditionally. With the blessing of friendship, we felt that love ourselves — with every quiet smile or warm embrace she shared with us,” Biden said.
Robinson lived with the Obamas during their tenure in the White House and was often seen at events with the first family, including handing out gift bags to trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
“We needed her. The girls needed her,” the family’s statement said of her arrival in Washington. “And she has been our support through it all.”
A native of Chicago — where she returned after leaving the Obama White House — Robinson was married to Fraser Robinson, and they had two children, Michelle and Craig. Fraser Robinson died in 1991 after a long struggle with multiple sclerosis.
According to the statement, Marion Robinson was heavily involved in her children’s education. The family recalled Robinson “taught her children to read at an early age, sitting down with them and reading to them the words on a page, giving them the strength and confidence to attend school.” They also highlighted her presence at the historic moment.
“On election night in 2008, when news broke that Barack would soon carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, she was there, holding his hand,” the statement said.
Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod remembered Robinson as “a great woman.”
“She was totally a Southerner,” Axelrod, CNN’s senior political commentator, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” Friday, adding that during her time in the White House, “she didn’t totally embrace the celebrity lifestyle.” Instead, Axelrod said, “she would often leave the White House by herself and visit friends. … She wasn’t really looking for attention.”
Years after the Obama portraits were unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2018, Michelle Obama recalled how powerful her mother’s reaction was when she took her to the museum after work hours.
“It was quiet and I could see my mother, Marian Robinson, sitting beneath my portrait and looking at it in awe,” she said when the paintings were temporarily moved to Chicago.
“And for me, to see him look at me like that, it means a lot to me,” Michelle Obama added.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
