Jon Bon Jovi Pays Tribute To Late Mother Carol Bongiovi: 'A Force To Be Reckon With'

Jon Bon Jovi paid a loving tribute to the Bongiovi family matriarch on Wednesday (July 10), a day after the death of his mother, Carol Bongiovi, at 83. The Bon Jovi singer's mother died of unknown causes on Tuesday ( July 9) at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ, just three days before her 84th birthday.

“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed,” Bon Jovi, 62, said in a family statement. Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi Jr.) has two younger brothers, Anthony and fellow musician Matthew Bongiovi. Except ex Idle teammate and florist, Carol was married to barber and fellow Marine veteran John Francis Bongiovi Sr. and operated her son's fan club for many years.

According to an obituary from the Holmdel Funeral Home, the matriarch of the family enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1959, where she met her future husband. The couple moved to Sayreville, NJ after the military where they raised their family before moving to Holmdel, NJ.

The woman affectionately referred to as 'Mom Jovi' by fans of the Garden State legend hung out, along with his dad, at the singer's 2021.Love Story” video. In the visual, Jon strummed an acoustic guitar in front of a wall of family photos — including a huge black-and-white snapshot of himself with their oldest son — as he sang about the love of family. “A father loves daughters like mothers their sons,” she sang. “They've written our story before there was one/ From the day you arrive/ 'Til you walk, 'Til you run/ There's nothing but pride, there's nothing but love/ They can they offer you advice I don't want to hear/ Words that cut like a knife and still ring in your ear.”

In an interview with Big issue In 2020, Bon Jovi, 62, spoke fondly of the lessons he learned from his parents, especially their unwavering support after his admittedly “terrible” first talent show performance as a teenager. “What I got from my parents was the ability to make the dream come true. They always instilled that confidence in their children, which, in hindsight, I realize was so incredibly valuable,” she told the magazine at the time. “Because even if you weren't really good at your craft, if you thought you were, you could work on it. As I grew older I realized that it was a wonderful gift that I received from my family. They truly believed in John F. Kennedy's mantra of going to the moon. “Yes, of course you can go to the moon. Go, Johnny. And there I went.”

Carol Bongiovi was born Carol Sharkey in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1940 and is survived by her husband of 63 years, their three sons and daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren.