Jessie Buss was the mother of Jerry Buss (27 January 1933 – 18 February 2013), the late American businessman, investor, and chemist born Gerald Hatten Buss. Jessie Buss was born on 10th July 1913 and died on 26th May 1977 at the age of 63.

Jessie’s claim to fame was a result of her relationship with her son Jerry Buss, who was known for being the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Sparks. Even though she died a long time ago, Jessie Buss’ name is still in the news. Get to know more about the mother of the former owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and the role she played in the successful life of her son.

Who Was Jessie Buss?

Lately, questions about who Jerry Buss’ mother is and whether she is still alive or dead came on the internet. Jessie Buss has long passed away. She was a single mother to her son. As long as she lived, Jessie remained a crucial figure in Jerry’s rise to fame. However, she largely lived her life completely away from the media

Jessie Buss was born on the 10th of July 1913 in Evanston, Uinta County, Wyoming, USA. She came from a predominantly African American community and is an American citizen. However, it is hard to trace details about her family background and early life. Also, it has never been mentioned if Jessie had any educational background.

Who was Jessie Buss’ Husband?

The name of Jessie’s husband was Lydus Buss. He was born on 19th July 1897 to Charles Frederick Buss and Harriet Julia Magny in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA. Until his death, Lydus Buss worked as an accountant and also taught Statistics at the University of California Berkeley.

Jessie and Lydus got married in 1932, and the union produced their only child, Jerry Buss. Unfortunately, the couple got divorced and went their separate ways when Jerry was still a toddler, and Jessie got custody of him. According to the mother of one, raising Jerry all alone shattered her dream of becoming an actress.

Lydus Buss died at the age of 55 on the 10th of February 1953. He was buried at Keokuk National Cemetery Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, USA.

Jessie Buss Singlehandedly Raised Her Son Jerry

Jessie gave birth to Jerry on the 27th of January 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is sad to note that Jerry’s father did not have any impact on his son’s life. Till his death, Jerry Buss never talked about his father but always showered praises on his mother, recounting all the love, support, and things she did for him.

“There was (a) delight in being able to give my mother a $1,000-a-month apartment, a new car, china, crystal, and silver, and take her to Hawaii,” Jessie Buss remarked in one of his interviews.

For unclear reasons, Lydus abandoned Jerry with his mom in the small town of Kemmerer, Wyoming, and moved to California, where he started teaching at Berkeley. This left Jessie struggling to take care of Jerry alone. Then, she worked as a waitress and managed to make ends meet with her tips.

Regardless, young Jerry had good times growing up with his mother, and they shared a very close bond. According to Jerry, her mother was always proud of him and gave him a lot of confidence which subsequently helped him in building a life for himself. He always talked about giving a better life to his mother.

In her spare time, Jessie would teach Jerry how to play cards. This benefited his future venture as a professional poker player. “I could play a reasonable hand of a bridge by the time I was 4″, he said.

When Jerry was nine years old, they moved to Los Angeles, and there, his mother met and married her second husband. Jessie married a plumber named Stub Brown. Nothing much is known about her second marriage and husband.

Meet Jerry Buss, Jessie Buss’ Only Child

Jerry Buss was an American businessman, Chemist, real estate investor, and philanthropist. Upon completing his high school education, Jerry earned a scholarship at the University of Wyoming. Then, after graduation, he proceeded to the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned an MS and Ph.D. in physical chemistry.

He started his career as a chemist at the defunct Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration). After a while, he ventured into real estate. Having found great success in his real estate business and career as a chemist, Jerry decided to expand his business endeavors and purchased the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.

Jerry Buss was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Furthermore, Jerry was a critical cash game poker player for several years but was more active in tournament games. In the 1980s, he won 10 league championships that were featured by the team’s Showtime era.

Moreso, Jerry Buss was enlisted as a contributor to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Apart from the Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry owned several other professional sports franchises in Southern California.

Meanwhile, his story was typical of rags to riches. Despite his affluent and successful adulthood, Jerry’s childhood was largely defined by poverty. Thoughts of hunger and deprivation tainted his upbringing.

Jerry Buss’ Mother Died at the Age of 63

Although there have been no reliable deets on the cause of her death, we know that Jerry Buss’ mother, Jessie Buss, died at the age of 63 on 26th May 1977 at Long Beach in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

On the other hand, her son Jerry Buss died on the 18th of February 2013, at the age of 80. Before he eventually died, Jerry Buss reportedly suffered an undisclosed intestinal problem for months, which would later result in kidney failure and cancer.

FAQs

Who was Jessie Buss?

Jessie Buss was the mother of Jerry Buss, the American billionaire businessman and majority owner of NBA side, LA Lakers. Jessie, a waitress, single-handedly raised Jerry from ages 2 to 8 after her husband and his father, Lydus, divorced her and left town.

How Many Children Did Jessie Buss Have?

Jessie Buss had three children, namely Jerry Buss, Mickey Brown, and Susan Brown. She had Jerry with her first husband and had Mickey and Susan with her second husband, Cecil Brown.