Jackie Bezos, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos's Mother, Is Dead at 78 — Details on Her Cause of Death

Not many people know that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the son of an extremely fascinating woman.

Jackie Bezos was born in Washington, D.C., to Lawrence Preston Gise and Mattie Louise Strait Gise. Her father headed the former Atomic Energy Commission's Albuquerque Operations Office in the 1960s.

He also worked on space technology and missile defense for the Department of Defense. It's no wonder Jackie's son would someday set his sights on space travel.

Jackie got pregnant with Jeff when she was only 17 years old. His father was unicyclist Ted Jorgensen. Their marriage didn't last long, which allowed Jackie to wed Cuban refugee Miguel Bezos.

She went on to have two more children and worked her way through college, finally graduating at the age of 45.

Jackie died Aug. 14, 2025, at the age of 78 after battling a years-long illness. Here's what we know about her cause of death.

In a post to Instagram, Jeff revealed that his mother passed away after a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, which she was diagnosed with in 2020. She was surrounded by her kids, grandkids, and the Amazon founder's dad.

"I know she felt our love in those final moments," he wrote. "We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever."

Jeff acknowledged that with his birth, Jackie's "adulthood started a little bit early" when she became a mom at the "tender age of 17."

He went on to say that while it couldn't have been easy, she "made it all work." A few years later, Jackie met his amazing stepfather, then added his sister and brother to the "list of people to love, guard, and nourish."

The list continued to grow, as did Jackie's ability to give "more than she ever asked for."

In 1995, Jackie and Miguel invested a little over $245,000 in the then-fledgling Amazon. In turn, Jeff gave them both six percent equity in the company.

She is also a co-founder of the Bezos Family Foundation, through which they donated $710.5 million to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

The comments section of Jeff's Instagram post was filled with condolences from friends and strangers. Lauren Sanchez Bezos said they would all miss Jackie so much.

Amanda Nguyen, who was on Blue Origin's NS-31 Mission alongside Lauren and Katy Perry, commented with a heart emoji.

Sharon Stone shared her "sincere condolences," adding that she just loved her mother too. Dorothy Stone died March 26, 2025 at the age of 91.

Brazilian artist and photographer Vik Muniz commented that Jackie was "really cool." He added that they worked together with Students Rebuild following the tsunami in Japan, describing it as a "wonderful experience."

Jackie is survived by her husband, three children, eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.