When the Obama family announced Marian Robinson’s passing at age eighty‑six, the nation felt the loss of a quietly steadfast presence in the White House. Michelle Obama’s mother moved from Chicago in 2009 to help care for her young granddaughters, Malia and Sasha, and soon became beloved as the first grandmother-in-residence.
In a statement shared by Michelle and Barack Obama alongside their family, they revealed, “She passed away quietly this morning, and at this time none of us is quite sure how exactly we’ll move on without her.” Her grandchildren—Avery, Leslie, Malia, Sasha, Austin, and Aaron—joined with Michelle, Barack, Craig, and Kelly Robinson in expressing profound grief at losing their “pillar of support.”
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side in 1937, Marian devoted her life to raising her daughter and son, Craig. After her husband Fraser Robinson died in 1991, she remained the family’s rock. When Barack Obama won the presidency, she left home once again—this time to swap Midwestern winters for the White House residence and to care for her seven‑ and ten‑year‑old granddaughters.
Despite invitations to social events—state dinners, East Room concerts, and foreign trips—Marian preferred her simple routine: folding laundry by hand, watching the Washington Monument from the residence’s sitting room, or enforcing bedtime and candy rules she shared with Michelle and Barack. She joked that the strictness she upheld made grandchildren call her “the fun grandma”—a role she embraced with warmth and humor.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden echoed the family’s tribute, calling Marian “a dedicated mother and grandmother with a fierce, unconditional love of her family,” whose gentle smiles and hugs blessed them all. They sent their deepest condolences to Michelle, Craig, Barack, Kelly, and the six grandchildren in whom Marian’s “kind and gentle spirit lives on.”
In a recent Mother’s Day message filmed at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago—where an exhibit now bears her name—Michelle reflected, “She taught me how to think for myself, to use my own voice, and to understand my worth. Without my mother, I simply wouldn’t be who I am today.”
Her influence echoed even after leaving the White House. Barack once called her “the least pretentious person I know,” praising her insistence on doing her own laundry and her love of a quiet afternoon at a TV tray. She even asked only to meet the Pope among the many dignitaries who passed through the residence.
Marian Robinson’s legacy endures in the family traditions she kept, the steady love she offered, and the confidence she instilled in her daughter and grandchildren. As her family mourns, they also celebrate a life defined by devotion, humility, and the simple joy of being together. “There was and will be only one Marian Robinson,” the family said. “The extraordinary gift of her life lifts us up in our sadness, and we will strive to follow her example for the rest of our lives.”
