Robinson became a familiar presence at the White House after relocating from Chicago to assist in caring for her granddaughters during the Obama administration.Marian Robinson, the mother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, has passed away at the age of 86.
“She passed peacefully this morning, and right now, none of us are quite sure how exactly we’ll move on without her,” the family statement read.
The statement, issued by Michelle and Barack Obama, Craig Robinson and his wife Kelly, and Marian Robinson’s grandchildren, Avery, Leslie, Malia, Sasha, Austin, and Aaron, reflected on Robinson’s role as the country’s first grandmother during Barack Obama’s presidency. Despite maintaining a low profile, she was a constant presence at the White House, attending holiday events, trips abroad, and concerts in the East Room, often spending time with her granddaughters, Sasha and Malia.
The family recalled how Robinson, born in Chicago in 1937, relocated from her hometown to assist with caring for her granddaughters at the White House. They described her as a loving grandmother who cherished her role, despite occasionally siding with her grandbabies against their parents’ rules.
Robinson, who raised her daughter and son, Craig Robinson, in Chicago’s South Side, was widowed in 1991 after her husband, Fraser Robinson, passed away from multiple sclerosis. Known for her down-to-earth demeanor, Robinson preferred simple pleasures and valued time spent with family over celebrity encounters. She remained humble even during her time in the White House, preferring to spend her evenings with a TV tray in the room overlooking the Washington Monument.
Barack Obama once praised Robinson for keeping his daughters grounded during their time in the White House, emphasizing her humility and lack of pretension. Michelle Obama, deeply close to her mother, credited Robinson with instilling confidence and independence in her, shaping her into the person she is today.
In a Mother’s Day tribute just weeks before her passing, Michelle Obama announced that an exhibit at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago would be named after her mother, honoring her profound influence and legacy.
The family statement concluded with a tribute to Robinson’s singular presence and influence, expressing gratitude for her extraordinary life and pledging to honor her example in their own lives.