“We needed her”: Marian Robinson cared for Barack and Michelle Obama’s daughters during the former U.S. President’s tenure. Now she has passed away.
Former American First Lady Michelle Obama (60) is mourning her mother. Marian Robinson died on Friday at the age of 86, as her daughter announced on the online platform X, without giving further details about the circumstances of her death. “My mother, Marian Robinson, was my rock and always there whenever I needed her. She was that same steadfast support for the whole family, and we are heartbroken that she passed away today,” wrote Michelle Obama, who, after her husband Barack (62) was inaugurated as the first Black president of the United States in 2009, moved into the White House with him, her mother-in-law, and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Marian Lois Shields Robinson was born in Chicago in 1937 and grew up as one of seven siblings in the south side of the city. In a touching family tribute, she was described as both a loving and resolute mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother, who had earned her wisdom through hard work.
My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed. She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today. We wanted to offer some reflections on her remarkable life: https://t.co/F7T6q625PC
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 31, 2024
Michelle Obama’s Loving Tribute to Her Mother
“Parents don’t raise babies. They raise little people,” was one of her sayings. But she had a heart not only for the little ones; she was also a crucial support for the man who was at one time the most powerful person in the world. “On election night (in November) 2008, when it became clear that Barack would soon carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, she was there, holding his hand.”
Even during the campaign, Marian Robinson often took care of her granddaughters, seven-year-old Sasha and ten-year-old Malia. After moving into the White House, she supported the President and the First Lady by managing the household with the help of the staff and caring for the two children. “We needed her. The girls needed her,” reads the tribute about that time. Now she leaves behind a grieving family – “and at the moment, none of us quite knows how we are going to move forward without her.”
