Jackie Bezos, the resilient and compassionate mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, passed away at her home in Miami on Thursday at the age of 78. According to the Bezos Family Foundation, she had been battling Lewy Body Dementia since 2020, a progressive brain disorder impacting cognitive and motor functions. Her life was characterized by perseverance, unwavering support for her family, and a profound commitment to educational philanthropy.

Born Jacklyn Marie Gise on December 29, 1946, in Washington, DC, Jackie's early life demonstrated remarkable strength. She grew up in New Mexico, where her father worked for the US Atomic Energy Commission. At a young age, she became a mother to her first child, Jeffrey, raising him alone in Albuquerque after divorcing his biological father, Theodore Jorgensen. While working at a bank during the day, she diligently attended college classes at night, even bringing her toddler to class when permitted by professors. It was during this period that she met Miguel “Mike” Bezos, a Cuban immigrant and night teller at the bank, whom she married in April 1968. Mike adopted Jeff, who took the Bezos surname, and together they raised two more children, Christina and Mark, fostering a household renowned for its warmth and open hospitality.

One of Jackie's most notable contributions was her early, pivotal support for Jeff Bezos's entrepreneurial ambitions. In 1995, despite having limited understanding of e-commerce or the internet, Jackie and Mike Bezos invested $245,573 in Amazon, which at the time was merely an online bookstore operating out of Jeff’s garage. This investment was a profound act of faith in their son's vision, made with the full awareness of the significant risk of losing their nest egg. This courageous decision paid off spectacularly, evolving into one of history's most successful family investments, eventually valued in the billions of dollars. While Amazon has not disclosed their exact holdings since 1999, their continued substantial donations of Amazon stock to their charitable foundation suggest they maintain a significant share, potentially making them among Amazon's largest individual owners with an estimated 16.6 million shares if none were sold or donated since 2016, according to a 2018 Bloomberg report.

Jackie Bezos's dedication to service and learning extended far beyond her family. At the age of 45, she returned to higher education, graduating with high honors in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University. In 2000, decades before her son or Amazon initiated their major philanthropic ventures, Jackie, alongside her husband and children, launched the Bezos Family Foundation. This foundation became a leading charity, distributing a portion of the vast wealth generated by Amazon. Central to its mission was Jackie’s strong belief that