Jeff Bezos’ mother Jackie dies at 78 following yearslong battle with dementia

The mother of billionaire Amazon founder and newlywed Jeff Bezos has died at 78 following a yearslong battle with dementia.

Jackie Bezos died peacefully at her Miami home on Thursday, according to the Bezos Family Foundation.

While a cause of death was not given, the organization said Jackie had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition — the second most common type of dementia behind Alzheimer’s disease — causes a gradual decline in cognitive function and often shares the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The Bezos Family Foundation thanked the dedicated medical teams and Jackie’s husband, Mike, for the tireless care they showed through the years as Jackie battled the disease “with the same dignity and courage that shaped every aspect of her life.”

A memorial to Jackie remembers her as a hard-working single mom to Bezos and later as a devoted wife to Mike, to whom she was married for 57 years. The couple eventually welcomed two more children, Christina and Mark.

Jackie was also a fierce advocate for education, who in 1991 — at the age of 45 — received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey.

She and Mike later helped launch the Bezos Family Foundation in 2000. The organization aims to foster “a world in which all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society,” according to the company’s mission statement.

She showed that dedication as a young mother, devoting her life to her children. The foundation specified remembers her for making “countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff,” who would later go on to build a fortune with his tech-forward Amazon retail network.

Bezos’ businesses now include aerospace company Blue Origin and the Washington Post. His estimated $243 billion net worth makes him the fourth richest person in the world, according to Forbes.

The Bezos family asks that supporters honor their matriarch by donating time or resources to a nonprofit organization, or performing “a simple act of kindness in her memory.”

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/08/14/jeff-bezos-mother-jackie-dies-lewy-body-dementia/