Inside Michelle Obama's Family Tree: Rare Photos and Facts About Fraser and Marian Robinson
By Elena Rostova
Q1: What did Michelle Obama's father do for a living?
Fraser Robinson III worked as a pump operator for the Chicago Department of Water at the Central Water Filtration Plant (now the Jardine Water Purification Plant) on Lake Michigan. He was also an active Democratic precinct captain on Chicago’s South Side.
Q2: When did Fraser Robinson III pass away, and from what cause?
Fraser passed away on March 6, 1991, at the age of 55. His death was caused by complications stemming from a nearly three-decade battle with progressive multiple sclerosis.
Q3: Did Fraser Robinson III ever live to see Michelle Obama marry or reach the White House?
No. Fraser passed away in 1991, roughly eighteen months before Michelle married Barack Obama in October 1992, and seventeen years before Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in 2008.
Q4: How did Fraser Robinson influence Barack Obama?
Although Barack Obama never met Fraser, he frequently spoke about him in speeches and memoirs as an aspirational model of steady, devoted fatherhood. Fraser's work ethic and family devotion shaped the domestic values Barack and Michelle brought into raising their daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
