Barbara Sinatra
Quick Facts
| Intro | American former model and showgirl; best known as the wife of Zeppo Marx, and, later, Frank Sinatra | ||
| Was | Model Socialite | ||
| From | United States of America | ||
| Field | Fashion | ||
| Gender | female | ||
| Birth | 10 March 1927, Bosworth, Carroll County, Missouri, U.S.A. | ||
| Death | 25 July 2017, Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California, U.S.A. (aged 90 years) | ||
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Biography
Barbara Marx Sinatra (née Blakeley; March 10, 1927 – July 25, 2017) was an American model and showgirl who was married to Zeppo Marx from 1959-73, and was the fourth and final wife of Frank Sinatra from 1976 until his death in 1998.
Early years
Barbara Blakeley was born on March 10, 1927 in Bosworth, Missouri, the elder of two daughters of Charles Willis Blakeley (June 29, 1895 – October 5, 1989) and Irene Prunty (nee Toppass) Blakeley (June 22, 1907 – December 15, 1993). She moved with her parents and younger sister, Patricia, to Wichita, Kansas as a child, where she was raised and graduated from Wichita North High School in 1946.
Marriage to Frank Sinatra
Blakeley married Sinatra on July 11, 1976, and they remained married until his death on May 14, 1998. It was Sinatra's fourth and final marriage, and the longest-lasting one. She converted to Roman Catholicism before the marriage. According to her book, Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank, "He [Frank] never asked me to change faith for him, but I could tell he was pleased that I'd consider it."
Upon his death, 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
Sinatra died on July 25, 2017 in Rancho Mirage, California of natural causes at the age of 90. She was survived, immediately, by her son, granddaughter, and two stepdaughters.
Legacy and portrayals
The Sinatras founded the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, California, in 1986. The center is adjacent to the Betty Ford Center on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center. The non-profit facility provides individual and group therapy for young victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.