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Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, passed away on Friday, May 31, at the age of 86, according to a statement her family provided to NBC News. Following the announcement, Michelle Obama took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to honor her mother. "My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed," she wrote. "She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share that she passed away today."
In their statement, the family shared that Marian passed peacefully that morning and expressed uncertainty about how they would move forward without her. They recounted how she left her lifelong home in Chicago with "a healthy nudge" to join Michelle and her family in the White House after Barack Obama's 2008 election win. "We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all," they said.
Marian cherished her role as a grandmother, enforcing household rules but always siding with her "grandbabies," believing their parents were too strict. The statement, shared by Michelle, Barack, Michelle's brother Craig Robinson and his wife Kelly, and Marian's grandchildren Avery, Leslie, Malia, Sasha, Austin, and Aaron, concluded, "There was and will be only one Marian Robinson."
The family reflected on the extraordinary gift of her life, vowing to honor her example. Barack Obama also expressed his condolences in a separate statement, echoing the sentiment that Marian was unique and that her life was a precious gift.
Michelle Obama has often spoken about the impact of her parents, including her father, Fraser Robinson, who passed away in 1991. She frequently recalls the valuable lessons her parents instilled in her during her upbringing. In a 2022 interview with Chicago's ABC 7, she mentioned how, despite growing up with modest means, her parents instilled in her a strong sense of self-worth and resilience.
Similarly, she told NPR that her parents fostered responsibility from a young age, buying her and her brother alarm clocks at five and allowing them to walk to school independently. "And what that does for a kid—when your parent trusts you, it encourages you. It tells you that if my mom thinks I can do this, then I must be capable," Michelle said.
