WILMINGTON, Del. — On Wednesday, President Joe Biden commemorated the memory of his first wife and infant daughter, 52 years after their tragic deaths in a car accident in Delaware. This event remains a significant moment in the life of the long-serving public official.
Biden’s wife, Neilia, was only 30 years old when she was driving their children—1-year-old Naomi and their sons Beau and Hunter—during a trip to select a Christmas tree. Their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer, resulting in the fatalities of both Neilia and Naomi. Beau, who was 3, and Hunter, aged 2, sustained severe injuries in the crash.
Early on Wednesday, Biden, joined by his current wife, Jill, and his son Hunter, as well as other family members, participated in a private memorial mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, close to their home in Delaware. Following the service, the family, with Jill Biden seen holding hands with Hunter’s young son, Beau Biden, proceeded to the cemetery located behind the church where the family plots are situated.
President Biden frequently speaks about this profound loss, sharing his experience as he did just last week. He recounted receiving a phone call while in Washington from the local fire department, conveying the devastating news about the accident. “I got a phone call from my local fire department, telling me there had been an accident,” he shared during a White House dinner that included members of the Kennedy family. “And the poor firewoman they put on the call for me said — I said, ‘How are they?’ They said, ‘Uh, uh, um, she’s dead. Your daughter is dead. And I’m not sure your two sons will make it.’”
At the time of the tragedy, Biden was also 30 years old and often reflects on how he almost abandoned his political career. However, he was encouraged by his Senate colleagues and made the commute between Delaware and Washington on Amtrak, providing support to his sons during their hospital stays.
Next month, President Biden will conclude a nearly 50-year journey in elected office and public service, which encompasses 36 years in the Senate, eight years as vice president, and four years as president. His candid discussions surrounding grief and resilience, along with his ability to connect with others who are mourning, have become defining characteristics of his persona.
In 1977, Biden remarried Jill Jacobs, who embraced Beau and Hunter as her own, and together they later welcomed a daughter named Ashley. Years after the tragic accident, Biden faced personal loss once more when his son Beau sadly passed away from brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. Beau Biden is also laid to rest in the cemetery at the church.
