Richard Branson and his mother Eve Branson
Clive Rose | Getty Images
LONDON – Virgin founder Richard Branson revealed that his mother, Eve, has died of the coronavirus, in a tribute blog post on Monday.
Branson said Eve, who was 96 years old when she died, “stuck to one last victory and managed to fight the virus, but spent all her energy in the process.”
However, Branson said that instead of mourning her loss, he “wanted to celebrate her wonderful life, her wonderful spirit, the joy she brought to so many and the love she gave us all.”
In the dedication to his mother, Branson said he owed his career to her. He explained that in the 1960s, Eve found a necklace and after the police let her keep the jewelry because no one claimed it, she sold it and gave him the money.
“Without that £ 100 ($ 135) I could never have started Virgin,” said Branson, who founded the multi-billion dollar conglomerate in 1970.
Branson said Eve and his father Edward, who passed away in 2011, explained to him and his two sisters the “ importance of hard work, of not taking yourself too seriously, of treating people the way you want to be treated, of being an entrepreneur, and so much more. ”
The Virgo founder described his mother as a “force of nature” who had lived “many remarkable lives” and related how she took gliding lessons disguised as a boy. She also enlisted in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, known as the “Wren,” during World War II.
After the war, Eve toured Germany as a ballet dancer, performed in London’s West End and worked as a flight attendant on British South American Airways’ “treacherous” routes.
Branson said his mother was “inventive, fearless, ruthless – an entrepreneur before the word existed.”
His mother was also the founder of the Eve Branson Foundation, a small non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of women and young girls in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, and provide access to education and health care.