Barbara Sinatra

Barbara Sinatra
Born Barbara Ann Blakeley
(1927-03-10)March 10, 1927
Bosworth, Missouri, United States
Died July 25, 2017(2017-07-25) (aged 90)
Rancho Mirage, California, United States
Resting place Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California[1]
Other names Barbara Marx
Occupation Showgirl, model, socialite, philanthropist
Spouse(s)
Children 1

Barbara Marx Sinatra (née Blakeley; March 10, 1927 – July 25, 2017) was an American model and showgirl, later socialite and philanthropist.

Early years

Barbara Ann Blakeley was born on March 10, 1927, in Bosworth, Missouri,[2] the elder of two daughters of Charles Willis Blakeley (June 29, 1895 – October 5, 1989) and Irene Prunty (née Toppass) Blakeley (June 22, 1907 – December 15, 1993). At age 10,[3] she moved with her parents and younger sister, Patricia, to Wichita, Kansas,[4] where she was raised, and graduated from Wichita North High School in 1946.[5] At age 18, she moved to Long Beach, California.[3]

Marriages

Blakeley married Robert Oliver in the 1940s and had a son, Bobby. She divorced Oliver in 1950 and married Zeppo Marx in 1959. That union ended in divorce in 1973. Then she became the fourth and final wife of Frank Sinatra from 1976 until his death in 1998.

Frank Sinatra

Barbara Marx married Sinatra on July 11, 1976, and they remained married until his death on May 14, 1998. It was his fourth and final marriage, and her third and final marriage. It was also the longest-lasting marriage for both. She converted to Catholicism. According to her book, Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank, "He [Frank] never asked me to change faith for him, but I could tell he was pleased that I'd consider it."[6]

Upon his death, Frank Sinatra left her $3.5 million in assets, along with mansions in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Palm Springs. She also inherited the rights to Sinatra's Trilogy recordings, most of his material possessions and control over his name and likeness.[7]

Death

Sinatra died on July 25, 2017, in Rancho Mirage, California of natural causes.[2][8]

Legacy

The Sinatras founded the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, California, in 1986.[9][10] The center is adjacent to the Betty Ford Center on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center.[9] The non-profit facility provides individual and group therapy for young victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.[11] In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Barbara Sinatra dies in Rancho Mirage at age 90". Dailynews.com. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Sasha Savitsky (July 25, 2017). "Barbara Sinatra, wife of Frank Sinatra, dead at 90". Fox News. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Barbara Sinatra, Frank's 4th wife and philanthropist, dies". The Wichita Eagle. July 25, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  4. ↑ Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line. Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.]
  5. ↑ "Barbara Sinatra, widow of Frank Sinatra, passed away Tuesday". KSNW. July 25, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  6. ↑ Sinatra, Barbara (2011). Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank. New York: Crown Archetype. ISBN 978-0307382337, OCLC 767957964
  7. ↑ Marcus Errico (May 22, 1998). "Sinatra's Will Averts Family Feud". Eonline.com.
  8. ↑ CNN, Lisa Respers France. "Barbara Sinatra, widow of Frank Sinatra, dies at 90". CNN. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  9. 1 2 "About Us". Barbarasinatrachildrenscenter.org. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  10. ↑ The Associated Press (2017-07-25). "Barbara Sinatra, Philanthropist and Singer’s Widow, Dies at 90". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  11. ↑ "Barbara Sinatra, founder of child-abuse center and widow of Frank Sinatra, is dead at 90". Theweek.com. January 1, 1970. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated" (PDF). Web.archive.org. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
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