Jeff Bezos pens emotional post for late mother Jackie: 'Couldn't have been easy, but...'

Mint

4 days ago

The mother of tech entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and Blue Origin, has died aged 78. Jacklyn 'Jackie' Bezos passed away peacefully at her home in Miami on August 14. The news was announced by her charitable organisation, the Bezos Family Foundation, in a statement on the same day.
"Jackie died peacefully in her Miami home on August 14th, at the age of 78," read a tribute on the foundation's website. "A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others."
According to the statement, Jackie had been living with Lewy body dementia — a brain condition — for five years, following her diagnosis in 2020.
Bezos penned an emotional note for his mother on Instagram: "Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17,' the 61-year-old billionaire said.
'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.'
"For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for. After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who lover her -- her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever," Jeff Bezos said.
Here's everything you need to know about Jackie
Born on December 29, 1946 in Washington, DC, Jackie's life was defined by perseverance, compassion, and a commitment to service. She became a mother to her first child, Jeffrey, at a young age, raising him alone in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While working at a bank during the day, she attended college classes at night. It was during this period that she met Miguel 'Mike' Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who became her husband and life partner for nearly 60 years.
Jackie and Mike raised three children — Jeff, Christina, and Mark — in a household that doubled as a community hub. Friends and neighbours often visited, drawn by Jackie's warmth, advice, and open-hearted hospitality. Many recalled her unique gift for making everyone feel like family.
At the age of 45, Jackie returned to education, graduating with high honours in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University. Her belief in continuous learning shaped her work with the Bezos Family Foundation, launched in 2000 alongside her husband and children.
Under her leadership, the foundation developed initiatives such as Vroom, which translates brain science into practical parenting tools, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which supports young leaders in the U.S. and Africa. Jackie's vision was rooted in the belief that 'together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation.'
Her philanthropic reach also extended to healthcare, particularly in funding advanced cancer immunotherapy research at Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Center.