Roberta McCain, Mother of Sen. John McCain, Dead At 108

ARIZONA — Roberta McCain, the mother of late Arizona Sen. John McCain, has died at the age of 108.

Her daughter-in-law, Cindy, announced the news in a tweet Monday.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my wonderful mother-in-law, Roberta McCain," she wrote. "I couldn't have asked for a better role model or a better friend. She joins her husband Jack, her son John and daughter Sandy."

A cause of death was not immediately known. Roberta's son, the late Republican senator, died of brain cancer in August 2018.

Shortly after the news broke, Arizona politicians offered their condolences to the McCain family.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called her a "towering figure" in American political and military life for nearly half a century.

"She possessed the same candidness and maverick-streak that Arizonans came to love about her son," he said in a statement. "During [John's] captivity, she displayed characteristic grit and resolve as the matriarch of the McCain family."

Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who is running to fill Sen. McCain's seat Nov. 3, also sent her prayers to the family.

"Saddened to learn of the passing of Senator John McCain’s mother, Roberta," she tweeted. "My prayers are with her family as they mourn her loss."

Roberta Wright was born Feb. 7, 1912, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where her father was a businessman. His enterprises included bootlegging and oil wildcatting. The family moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1920s.

She married into a storied military family — her husband retired in 1972 with the rank of four-star admiral, the same rank held by his father, John S. “Slew” McCain Sr. Her son was later held as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam in the 1960s, even as his father served as commander in chief of Pacific forces.

Her husband was a submarine commander during World War II and was second in command of the cruiser St. Paul during the Korean War. He later held key posts including the Navy’s chief of congressional liaison, and died in 1981.

Roberta McCain was a constant presence on the campaign trail when her son ran for president in 2008. At the time, Roberta was 96, and helped to assure voters that her son's age would not impact his ability to lead the country.

She attended the 2008 Republican National Convention, where her son credited “her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn’t be here tonight but for the strength of her character.”

She was known for her feistiness. The senator once told the story of the time his mother flew to Paris but was told she was too old to rent a car. Instead, she bought a car to drive around France.

McCain is survived by her son Joseph McCain II, grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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