Ann Lightfoot, the mother of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, died overnight Monday after a long illness. She was 95.
“Our entire family and my mother’s many friends and colleagues are mourning the loss of Ann Lightfoot, who modeled for us the value of hard work, perseverance and faith throughout her life,” Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “She will be deeply missed but her legacy lives on in each and every one of us who loved her dearly.
Described by her daughter as a fiercely determined and devout woman, Ann Lightfoot migrated from the South with her husband, Elijah, fleeing racism and searching for better opportunities. The couple settled in Massillon, a small, working-class city in Ohio about 400 miles east of Chicago.
Ann Lightfoot worked as a nursing aide and once served as a member of Massillon’s school board. She and her husband had four children together, and raised their family in a low-income white neighborhood in the segregated city. Their youngest, born in 1962, went on to become the first openly lesbian Black woman to serve as the mayor of a major U.S. city.
In her 2019 inauguration speech, Lori Lightfoot credited her mother for instilling in her values of loyalty, integrity and hard work.
“She’s my role model, my champion,” Lori Lightfood said. “The woman whose dreams and high expectations for me propelled me through life.”
Elijah Lightfoot died in 2009.
A member of the Democratic Party, Lori Lightfoot was Chicago’s mayor from 2019 to 2023, when she lost reelection to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Presiding over Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Johnson called for aldermen to join him in a moment of silence for Ann Lightfoot as the council wrapped up remarks for Black History Month.
Johnson noted that when he succeeded Lori Lightfoot it marked the first transition of power from one elected Black mayor to another in Chicago’s history.
“It is in that spirit, as we recognize the leadership of the former mayor, Lori Lightfoot, we are also grieving with her today as she lost her mother,” Johnson said.
In her statement, Lori Lightfoot said she appreciated “the well wishes and messages of condolence.”
“Our mother was a devout woman of faith,” Lori Lightfoot said, “and we believe she has gone on to her greater glory.”
Chicago Tribune’s Alice Yin contributed.