Rita Owens, mom of rap and acting superstar Queen Latifah, has passed away at the age of 69 from heart failure, a chronic disorder which she suffered from for almost two decades.
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my mother, Rita Owens, passed away today," Latifah said. "Anyone that has ever met her knows what a bright light she was on this earth. She was gentle, but strong, sweet, but sassy, worldly but pragmatic, a woman of great faith and certainly the love of my life."
Latifah spoke out about her mom's heart disease in 2016, when she learned that her mom's life could have been different if she had associated her symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath with a larger problem. Her mom is the reason she supports the American Heart Association.
According to People, Owens shared with them back in 2015 that she was on a heart-healthy diet and had a defibrillator implanted to prevent heart attacks to combat the progression of the disease.
Owens lived in Wayne, New Jersey and taught art at Irvington High School, the same school her daughter formed her first rap group, Ladies Fresh.
She will be missed.