Marian Shields Robinson, the mother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, passed away at the age of 86. She had moved into the White House with the Obama family in 2009 when her son-in-law, Barack Obama, became president, to help care for her granddaughters Malia and Sasha.
Mrs. Robinson’s death was announced by Michelle Obama and other family members, who expressed their sadness but also celebrated the extraordinary life she had lived.
As a lifelong resident of Chicago and a widow, Mrs. Robinson initially hesitated to move to Washington, D.C., but Michelle Obama and her brother Craig convinced their mother to make the change. In a foreword to her daughters memoir, Mrs. Robinson wrote about the opportunity to spend more time with her granddaughters and help provide them with a sense of normalcy during their father’s political career.
Although she agreed to the move as a compromise, Mrs. Robinson reportedly became a reassuring presence for Malia and Sasha, who were just 10 and 7 years old when they moved into the White House. Her lack of Secret Service protection allowed her to accompany the girls to and from school without drawing attention.
Michelle Obama has spoken about the important role her mother played in her life, providing unconditional love and support while keeping her grounded. Mrs. Robinson’s willingness to put her family’s needs before her own gave Michelle the confidence to pursue her own path.
Michelle, in her memoir, discussed her mother’s attitude toward Barack Obama’s political activities. Michelle paid especially close attention to the night of the 2008 election, when her mother was sitting on a couch with Barack to watch the T.V. coverage of the election.
“Never one to overemote, my mom just gave him a sideways look and shrugged, causing them both to smile,” Michelle Obama wrote in her memoir, “Becoming.” “Later, though, she’d describe to me how overcome she’d felt right then, struck just as I’d been by his vulnerability. America had come to see Barack as self-assured and powerful, but my mother also recognized the gravity of the passage, the loneliness of the job ahead.”
Take a look at this old picture from that night in 2008 —
One of the simplest yet most moving news photos I’ve ever seen —
Barack Obama and Marian Robinson watch the results come in, Election Night 2008.
Pic: David Katz. pic.twitter.com/USOyf4FI5N
— Niall Stanage (@NiallStanage) May 31, 2024
While living in the White House, Mrs. Robinson enjoyed a level of anonymity that the president and first lady reportedly envied. She was able to go shopping, attend events, and travel to visit other grandchildren without much fanfare. She also had the opportunity to travel abroad for the first time, accompanying the Obamas on state trips to France, Russia, Italy, Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, and China.
Mrs. Robinson was born on July 30, 1937, in Chicago, one of seven children. She attended two years of teaching college and married Fraser Robinson III in 1960. As a stay-at-home mother, she emphasized the importance of education to her children, both of whom went on to earn degrees from Ivy League schools.
Fraser Robinson, who worked as a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, had multiple sclerosis and passed away in 1991.