Marian Robinson, former President Barack Obama’s mother-in-law, died on Friday at the age of 86, according to the family.
Robinson was a fixture in the Obama White House and resided there during his tenure to help watch over the first couple’s daughters, Sasha and Malia.
Michelle Obama said in a post on X that her mother “was the same steady backstop for our entire family.”

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, along with daughters Malia (left) and Sasha, sing during the finale of TNT’s “Christmas in Washington” on Dec. 15, 2013, in Washington, DC. Also shown are the president’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, and the program’s host, actor Hugh Jackman.
Pool/Getty Images, FILE
“Her wisdom came off as almost innate, as something she was born with, but in reality it was hard-earned, fashioned by her deep understanding that the world’s roughest edges could always be sanded down with a little grace,” the family said in a statement.
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