Jeff Bezos’ Mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, Passes Away at 78 Following Extended Struggle with Dementia

Jeff Bezos announced his mom, Jacklyn “Jackie” Gise Bezos, died at her Miami home on Thursday after a lengthy battle with dementia. She was 78.

“Following a prolonged battle with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by those of us who cherished her — including her children, grandchildren, and my father,” shared the Amazon founder on Instagram.

“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.”

At 61, Jeff reflected on his mother’s life, noting, “Her journey into adulthood began quite early when she became my mother at just 17,” referencing her giving birth to him with his biological father, Ted Jorgensen, in 1964.

Jackie and Jorgensen, who died in 2015, were married from 1963 to 1965, and she raised Jeff alone.

“That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work,” the businessman continued.

“She embraced the role of loving me fiercely, welcomed my amazing dad into the family a few years afterward, and then expanded her circle of love to include my sister and brother, whom she loved, protected, and nurtured,” he mentioned, talking about his stepfather, Miguel Bezos, whom she married in 1968.

The couple welcomed a daughter, Christina, and a son, Mark, together.

Jeff concluded the heartfelt post with, “I love you, mom.”

According to Mayo Clinic, Lewy Body dementia “is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease” and “affect[s] brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement.”

Jeff also shared an obituary for Jackie, which claimed she was diagnosed with the disease in 2020.

The obituary also described the businesswoman as “a fierce advocate and supporter, filled with heart for others and never accepting the status quo.”

The obituary also highlighted Jackie’s success, including how she founded the Bezos Family Foundation in 2020 and her “deep” partnership with Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center, which helped discover “breakthrough immunotherapy treatments” for cancer.

“Jackie’s life of service was second only to her passion for family and gathering,” the obituary continued.

She also helped Jeff launch Amazon with an investment of nearly $250,000 in 1995.