Barack Obama's grandmother has died

November 3, 4:42 PMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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Sad news to report... Barack Obama's grandmother Madelyn Dunham has died. She died today in Hawaii at age 86. (It was her birthday yesterday).

Dunham played a big role in raising Obama. Above is a photo of her with Barack from his 1979 high school graduation.

A MSNBC story on "Toot," as Barack and his family called Dunham, talks about the role she played in Obama's life:

He has often mentioned "Toot" — his version of the Hawaiian word "tutu," or grandparent — as an example of a strong woman succeeding through intelligence and determination. Many of his speeches describe her working on a bomber assembly line during World War II.

David Mendell, author of the biography "Obama: From Promise to Power," interviewed Dunham in 2004 and concluded that she helped ground Obama and give him a sense of pragmatism.

"You can't underestimate, I think, her influence," Mendell said. "It's only second, I think, to his mother's influence in shaping who he is. His grandfather was a little bit disconnected from the family. But she was really the woman who stabilized the household."

Obama took time away from his campaign just a few days ago to go see Toot in Hawaii. He had said he didn't think she would hold on long enough to make it to Election Day.

The Associated Press reports Obama will continue campaigning today.

Take a moment to think of the Obama family today as they deal with their grief.