Hillary Clinton is mourning the death of her life-long best friend and “north star,” Betsy Ebeling.
Ebeling died from breast cancer on Sunday in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She was 72.
“A lovely tribute that captures what made Betsy Ebeling, my dear friend, so special to so many of us. She was our north star,” Clinton tweeted.
A lovely tribute that captures what made Betsy Ebeling, my dear friend, so special to so many of us. She was our north star. https://t.co/uFM7UMtgV6
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 30, 2019
Clinton’s childhood friend passes away
Best friends since 1958, the two women befriended each other in the 6th grade at Eugene Field Elementary School. They grew up together in Park Ridge, a Chicago suburb, and remained close friends for life.
“From the moment I met Betsy in sixth grade she was my dear friend,” Clinton said. “We went through the ups and downs of life together, and she offered loving support and wise advice every step of the way. She had a real gift for friendship and an unrivaled ability to connect with anyone through her kindness and her sense of humor. I will miss her every day.”
Ebeling accompanied Clinton through her political career and hosted various fundraisers for the Democrat politician. Ebeling was the maid of honor at Clinton’s wedding to Bill Clinton. And she attended the 2016 Democratic National Convention and cast an electoral vote for her friend, which she described as “one of the most incredible moments of my life.”
”On this historic, wonderful day, in honor of … my sweet friend — I know you’re watching — this one’s for you, Hill,” Ebeling said.
Human rights worker
Friends and relatives of Ebeling described her as loyal, funny, and kind. They echoed Clinton’s description of the “North Star,” with some likening her to the “glue” or “cat herder” who kept Clinton’s childhood friend group together.
She had been fighting cancer for a long time, but friends of Ebeling said that her death came suddenly. Ebeling was planning an August “slumber party” friends reunion in Indiana when she passed away.
“It’s so sudden because Betsy was always busy gathering Hillary and all of us who had been close — especially her Park Ridge school buddies, which she jokingly likened to herding cats,” said Kathy Burgess, a close friend, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
She worked for the Democratic National Convention, the American Bar Association and as a human rights activist at the State Department of Human Rights. Illinois Governor and billionaire J.B. Pritzker said he was “heartbroken” by Eberling’s passing.
“Betsy Ebeling dedicated her career to advancing human rights here in Illinois and fighting for a better future for people across our nation,” he tweeted Monday. “Like her many friends, I loved Betsy for her kindness, sense of humor and her genuineness.”
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