By Breaking Celebrity News Staff

Lucimarian Roberts, the mother of Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, died Thursday night at 88 in her native Mississippi, Breaking Celebrity News has learned.

In her life, Lucimarian became the first African-American to serve atop the Mississippi Board of Education. Robin was close to her mother and the two released a joint book, My Story, My Song - Mother-Daughter Reflections on Life and Faith, this past March.

Robin is battling a blood and bone marrow disorder called MDS and took her medical leave for an upcoming bone marrow transplant a day early Thursday, ABC said, so she could travel "home to Mississippi just in time to see her."

The beloved broadcaster told her GMA colleagues, "I take you with me in my heart…I will be back, just so you know. See you later, see you soon, I'll get back as soon as I can," upon her departure Thursday.