Roberta McCain dies at age 108

The mother of the late Sen. John McCain, who inspired her son’s maverick attitude and accompanied him on the presidential campaign trail in her 90s, died on Monday. Roberta McCain was 108.

How does her family remember her? As a military wife and young mother, she led discussions of politics and history with her three children at dinner. “Roberta was the liveliest presence in every room she graced, an irresistible force of nature,” wrote Cindy McCain, John’s widow. At the 2008 Republican National Convention, where he accepted the party’s nomination for president, John praised his mother’s “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.” Her son Joe McCain, 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren survive her. Her husband, Adm. John McCain Jr.; her daughter, Sandy Morgan; and her son John preceded her in death.

Dig deeper: Read my 2018 obituary of John McCain.