Barack Obama announced the death Monday of his beloved grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham. In a joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng Obama said his grandmother, who helped raise him and whom he often praised as the cornerstone of his family, died peacefully Sunday night after a battle with cancer. She was 86.
"She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances," the statement read. "She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring. Our debt to her is beyond measure. "
Obama visited Dunham in Hawaii on October 23-24 when he halted his campaigning to be with her. He told CBS news that he "got there too late" when his mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995 at 53, and wanted to make sure "that I don't make the same mistake twice."
Obama learned of Dunham's death on Monday morning while campaigning in Jacksonville, Florida. The family said a private ceremony would be held later.
Our condolences go out to the entire Obama family.
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