Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, has died, the Obama family announced.
Robinson, who was 86, was known as “First Grandmother” to her son-in-law. from barack obama eight years in the White House and played a key role in caring for Barack and Michelle’s children, Malia and Sasha.
“With a healthy push, he agreed to move to the White House with Michelle and barack. We needed it. The girls needed her,” the family said in a statement.
“And she ended up being our rock through all of this,” they said, adding that she died “peacefully” on Friday morning.
Photo by Marian Robinson: AP
Born in 1937 in Chicago, Robinson was one of seven children and her parents separated when she was a teenager.
The former president once called his mother-in-law “the least pretentious person I know.”
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According to the family, the White House was never a good fit for Robinson, who preferred to spend his time upstairs watching television rather than meeting the politicians and celebrities who passed by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Robinson married in 1960 and had two children, including former first lady Obama.
She also worked as a teacher and secretary, the family said.
During her eight years in the White House, the family said she often sneaked out the doors to buy greeting cards at nearby stores and was sometimes told by other customers that she looked like the first lady’s mother.
“Oh, I understand so much,” she smiled in response.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story