Frank Sinatra's first wife Nancy Sr. dead at 101

July 14 (UPI) -- Nancy Sinatra Sr., the mother of entertainer Frank Sinatra's three children, has died.

"My mother passed away peacefully tonight at the age of 101. She was a blessing and the light of my life. Godspeed, Momma. Thank you for everything," Nancy Sinatra Jr. tweeted Friday.

The New York Times reported New Jersey natives Nancy Sr. and Frank tied the knot in 1939 when Frank was a struggling artist and his bride was an administrative assistant.

After Frank became a successful singer and film actor, he left his wife in 1951 to briefly marry actress Ava Gardner. They divorced and Frank went on to marry two more times. Nancy never remarried.

The Sinatras remained close friends until Frank's death in 1998. He was 82.

"Throughout the many years after they split, my grandfather came to visit whenever his crazy life would allow it," Sinatra's granddaughter A.J. Lambert wrote for a 2015 piece in Vanity Fair. "I can remember times when she would be on the phone with her ex-husband, and the next thing I knew some eggplant was coming out of the freezer to thaw so that she could make him some sandwiches when he showed up."

Nancy Sr. is survived by her daughters Nancy and Tina. Her son Frank Jr. died in 2016. He was 72.