Charlotte Bloomberg, presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg‘s mother, features prominently in one of his campaign ads that positions him as a supporter of strong women.
Her full name was Charlotte Rubens Bloomberg, and she led a modest but lengthy and fulfilled life. She died in West Medford, Massachusetts in 2011, where Michael Bloomberg grew up. Bloomberg, who is now a billionaire many times over, was raised in fairly humble means.
Here’s what you need to know about Mike Bloomberg’s mom:
1. Mike Bloomberg Was The First Born Child of His Parents & His Mother Was the Disciplinarian
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg tours the newlythe newly dedicated unit with his mother Charlotte November 24, 2003 in Jerusalem, Israel. The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center at Hadassa is named at a ceremony honoring Bloomberg’s mother who will turn 95 in January.
A profile story on Bloomberg’s life in the Boston Globe reports that was born in 1942 in Brighton to Charlotte and William Bloomberg. He was their first child, and they lived in Allston, Brookline, and Medford (near Boston). William was a bookkeeper.
According to the Globe article, Bloomberg was raised in a “blue-collar town of predominantly Irish and Italian families” but his family was Jewish. In fact, the article notes that their Irish attorney had to buy their house because Jews were discriminated against at that time.
Charlotte told the Globe that she was “the disciplinarian in the house while her husband doted on their son,” the Globe reported. They would later also have a daughter named Marjorie Tiven.
Her obituary explains that her husband died long before her, saying, “Charlotte Rubens married William H. Bloomberg in 1934. He died in 1963. She was the sister of the late Louis Rubens, Florence R. Tartalsky and Gertrude R. Hensher.” William Henry Bloomberg was only 57 years old when he died.
According to Business Insider, Michael Bloomberg’s “Polish immigrant father worked seven days a week as an accountant, while his mother worked as a secretary.”
2. Bloomberg Made Philanthropic Donations in His Mom’s Honor
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg with his mother, Charlotte Bloomberg the newly dedicated unit with his mother Charlotte November 24, 2003 in Jerusalem, Israel. The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center at Hadassa is named at a ceremony honoring Bloomberg’s mother.
The Globe article details how Bloomberg has sought to honor his modest mom with philanthropic donations, including to her synagogue Temple Shalom in Medford, where she was co-president. He also donated money in her honor to the Medford Public Library.
Bloomberg told the Globe that he still pays for his mother’s phone line to be active so he can hear her voice on the answering machine.
The New York Post called Charlotte Bloomberg “feisty and quick-witted to the end.” Her obituary explained, “She was an active community volunteer and known for maintaining a vigorous schedule until a few years ago. She served as co-president of her synagogue, Temple Shalom, when she was in her nineties.”
3. Bloomberg’s Mother Lived to 102, a Long Life Her Son Called a Blessing
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (L) gestures to the crowd as former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (2nd L) and Bloomberg’s mother Charlotte (C) looks on at an election night party November 8, 2005 in New York City. Bloomberg defeated Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer.
There’s a lot of longevity in Bloomberg’s family tree; Charlotte Bloomberg lived until 102. She died in 2011.
According to The New York Post, when she died, Bloomberg, then New York’s mayor, released a statement saying that her long life was a family blessing.
“Today, my sister Marjorie and I lost our mother, Charlotte, after an extraordinary 102 years of life. As the center of our family, our mother’s unimpeachable integrity, fierce independence, and constant love were gifts that profoundly shaped our lives and the lives of so many who knew her. Our family recognizes how truly blessed we have been to have her live such a long and full life, and to be able to carry her spirit with us forever,” that statement read, according to The Post.
4. Charlotte Bloomberg Was Described as a ‘Crack Scrabble Player’ Who Loved Eating Out
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) takes the oath of office administered by Judge Judith Kaye (L) as his mother Charlotte holds the bible, January 1, 2006 at City Hall in New York City. Bloomberg’s daughters Emma (C) and Georgina (2nd-R) look on.
Bloomberg’s obit gives a sense of her hobbies and personality. “Mrs. Bloomberg frequently ate lunch out – Legal Seafood was a favorite – visited museums, and read the Boston Globe and New York Times on a daily basis and participated in her monthly book club,” it reads.
“She also delighted in new family photographs and enjoyed the visits of family, friends and neighbors. She was a crack Scrabble player and continued playing as recently as last month (2011).”
The obituary adds, “The Mayor was a devoted son and visited her frequently. A proud mother, Mrs. Bloomberg was an enthusiastic participant at the Mayor’s swearing-in ceremonies in 2002 and 2006.”
5. Charlotte Was Born in New Jersey & Had a Degree in Accounting
Michael Bloomberg (R), the108th Mayor of the City of New York, hugs his mother, Charlotte while his daughter, Georgina (L) scans the crowd at his inauguration ceremony January 1, 2002 at City Hall in New York City.
According to her obituary, Charlotte Bloomberg was “born in Jersey City in 1909.”
She “earned a bachelors degree in accounting from New York University in 1929, a time when few women attended college,” the obit reads.
“She moved to West Medford in 1945. In addition to family responsibilities and volunteer work, for several years she worked as an office manager in Boston.”
READ NEXT: Is Mike Bloomberg Married?