Barbara Ann Sinatra (formerly Oliver and Marx, Blakeley; October 16, 1926 – July 25, 2017) was an American model, showgirl,

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

, and philanthropist and the fourth and last wife of

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Early life

Sinatra was born as Barbara Ann Blakeley on October 16, 1926, in Bosworth, Missouri, to Irene Prunty (née Toppass) and Charles Willis Blakeley. The family moved to

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

when she was 10. After graduating from Wichita North High School in 1944, Sinatra moved to

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

Personal life

She married Robert Oliver in September 1948 and had a son, Robert Blake "Bobby" Oliver on October 10, 1950. She divorced Oliver in 1952. She married Zeppo Marx on September 18, 1959. They divorced in 1973. She married Frank Sinatra on July 11, 1976. 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 The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. According to her book, ''Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank'', "He ranknever asked me to change faith for him, but I could tell he was pleased that I'd consider it." Upon his death in 1998, 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.

Death

Barbara Marx Sinatra died on July 25, 2017, in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothil ...

, of natural causes at the age of 90. She died a year before Frank's first wife, Nancy Barbato, who died on July 13, 2018, at the age of 101. She is buried at the Desert Memorial Park next to husband Frank.

Legacy

The Sinatras founded the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in

Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothills ...

in 1986, which is close to the Betty Ford Center on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center. The

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

facility provides individual and

group therapy Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, i ...

for young victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the

Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes p ...

was dedicated to her.

References

External links