CNN —

According to a joint statement by the Obama and Robinson family, Marian Robinson, mother of Michelle Obama, former first lady, died. She was 86.

In part, the statement by Barack and Michelle Obama and Craig and Kelly Robinson and their children stated that she was loved beyond words by so many others who were enriched by her presence.

The statement read: “She died peacefully on Monday morning and we are not sure yet how to move forward without her.”

Michelle Obama wrote on social media: “My mom Marian Robinson always was there for me, no matter what I needed.” We are devastated to learn that she has passed away. She was a constant backstop for the entire family.

Marian Robinson was the only Marian Robinson. We are inspired by her extraordinary life, even in our sadness. We will try to emulate her for the rest of our lives,” Barack Obama said on X.

Robinson was a close friend of the Obamas and often seen with them at various events, such as Halloween when she gave goodie bags to trick-or treaters .

“We needed her.” “The girls needed her,” said the family in a statement about her move to Washington. She was our rock throughout it all.

Robinson is a native Chicagoan, where she returned to after the Obamas left White House. She was married Fraser Robinson and they had two children: Michelle and Craig. Fraser Robinson passed away in 1991, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

Marian Robinson, according to a statement, was very involved in the education of her children. Robinson was credited with teaching her children to read from an early age. They sounded words out together, which gave them the confidence to walk to their school.

The statement stated that “On Election Night 2008, when news broke out that Barack would soon be shouldering the weight of the entire world, she was right there, holding her hand.”

David Axelrod – former senior advisor to Obama – remembered Robinson as a “great lady”.

Axelrod told Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s senior political commentator on “The Situation Room,” that she was “a South Sider from the start.” She added that, during her tenure at the White House “she didn’t take to the celebrity lifestyle.” Instead, Axelrod stated, “she often slipped out of the White House alone and visited with friends.” She wasn’t seeking attention.

Michelle Obama remembered the impact of her mother’s reaction when she brought her to the National Portrait Gallery after hours.

She said, “It was quiet, and I was watching my mother, Marian Robinson, look up with such awe at my portrait,” when the Portraits were temporarily relocated to Chicago.

Michelle Obama stated, “Watching her see me that way was a life-changing experience for me.”

This article has been updated to include additional reporting.