WILMINGTON, Del. — On Wednesday, President Joe Biden marked the somber anniversary of the tragic deaths of his first wife and infant daughter, a loss that occurred 52 years ago due to a car accident in Delaware.
Neilia, Biden’s wife at the time, was just 30 years old when she was driving their children—1-year-old Naomi and her older brothers, Beau and Hunter—to pick out a Christmas tree. Their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer, resulting in the deaths of Neilia and Naomi, while Beau, aged 3, and Hunter, aged 2, suffered serious injuries.
In remembrance, Biden, alongside his current wife Jill, son Hunter, and other relatives, attended a private memorial Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, located near their Delaware residence. Following the service, the family made their way to the cemetery adjacent to the church, where they honored their loved ones’ gravesites, with Jill Biden holding hands with Hunter’s young son, Beau.
The president frequently reflects on this profound loss, sharing the painful story publicly, including just last week. He recounted being in Washington alongside then-Senator Edward Kennedy when he received the harrowing news about the accident.
“I received a call from the local fire department informing me of the incident,” Biden mentioned during a White House dinner attended by members of the Kennedy family. “The firewoman on the line told me the heartbreaking news—’She’s dead. Your daughter is dead. And I’m not sure your two sons will make it.’”
Having just been elected to the Senate shortly before this tragedy, Biden contemplated stepping away from his political ambitions. However, he heeded the counsel of fellow senators, was sworn in while at his sons’ hospital bedside, and consistently commuted from Delaware to Washington via Amtrak.
Next month, President Biden will conclude a nearly five-decade journey in public service, which encompasses 36 years in the Senate, eight years as vice president, and four years as president.
His willingness to discuss his grief, along with his capacity to understand and connect with others who have endured similar losses, has become a defining characteristic throughout his extensive political career.
In 1977, Biden married Jill Jacobs, who played a crucial role in caring for Beau and Hunter as if they were her own children. Together, they later welcomed a daughter, Ashley. Moreover, years after the devastating car accident, Biden faced further personal tragedy when his son Beau Biden succumbed to brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46, and he is also laid to rest in the church cemetery.