Hillary Clinton Mourns the Death of Her Childhood Best Friend Betsy Ebeling: ‘She Was Our North Star’

Our hearts are with Hillary Clinton as she mourns the loss of her beloved childhood best friend, Betsy Ebeling. The former first lady of the United States took to social media to honor her late friend, who sadly passed away at age 72 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Sunday, July 28.

“A lovely tribute that captures what made Betsy Ebeling, my dear friend, so special to so many of us,” the 71-year-old wrote alongside an obituary by The Chicago Tribune. “She was our north star.” Betsy — who would often accompany her famous friend throughout her political campaigns — died after a lengthy battle with breast cancer, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Hillary and Betsy first become friends in 1958. The dynamic duo hit it off in the 6th grade after meeting at Eugene Field Elementary School in Park Ridge, Illinois. Although a source told People that Betsy has been “sick for some time” now, close friend Kathy Burgess told the Sun-Times her death was completely unexpected considering she was still on the road to recovery.

“Betsy had been having treatments, but nothing slowed her down. But something hit her a few weeks ago,” the pal explained. “Betsy was always there for all of us, encouraging us, and was with Hillary at her brother Tony’s funeral last month.” Kathy even dished that Betsy was planning a “slumber party” reunion of friends in Indiana just weeks before she died.

Betsy’s loss isn’t the only unimaginable pain that Hillary — who has been married to her husband, Bill Clinton, for over 44 years — has suffered in the last few months. In early June, the What Happened author announced that her youngest brother, Tony Rodham, sadly died at age 64 on June 7.

The beloved political powerhouse took to Twitter to share the devastating news along with a heartfelt tribute. “We lost my brother Tony last night. It’s hard to find words, my mind is flooded with memories of him today,” she gushed at the time. “When he walked into a room he’d light it up with laughter. He was kind, generous and a wonderful husband to Megan and father to Zach, Simon and Fiona. We’ll miss him very much.”

Our hearts and prayers are with Hillary and the rest of Betsy’s family and friends during this heartbreaking time.