Nancy Sinatra Sr. dies at 101
July 14, 2018
Nancy Sinatra's daughter, Nancy Jr., tweeted that her mother had died peacefully on Friday evening, although further details were not initially available.
"She was a blessing and the light of my life. God speed, Momma," wrote the younger Sinatra. "Thank you for everything."
The Sinatra family website featured a dedication to Nancy Sr. of the Frank Sinatra song "She’s Funny that Way."
Nancy Sinatra, born Nancy Barbato, was married for 12 years to one of the 20th Century's greatest music and movie icons, who starred in such blockbuster movies as "From Here to Eternity," and "Guys and Dolls" and who is perhaps best known for his signature jazz song, "New York, New York."
The couple both hailed from New Jersey and had three children. Nancy worked as a secretary, while Frank was employed as a singing waiter.
They divorced in 1951 following Frank's string of extramarital affairs — most notably with his future wife and actress Ava Gardner — were made public in Hollywood gossip columns.
After the divorce, Nancy Sr. never remarried but devoted herself to family life and charity work from her home in Beverly Hills, California. Despite their split, the couple remained close until Frank's death from a heart attack in 1998.
Read more: Frank Sinatra's ups and downs
She is credited, under the name Nancy Barbato, with two TV and film appearances, appearing in her daughter Nancy's 1975 concert film, "Nancy and Lee in Las Vegas," and in 1974 on her friend Dinah Shore's talk show.
She became known as Nancy Sr. after daughter Nancy became a 1960s singing star in her own right, most notably with the track "These Boots Are Made For Walking."
rc,jlw/aw (Reuters, AP)