Amanda Ros, the mother of U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has passed away today at the age 84 following a fight with Alzheimer's disease. Ros-Lehtinen, who represents a district that stretches from South Beach to Key West, is currently the longest serving female Republican member of the House, and has recently ascended to new powers as the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Amanda Adato was born in Cuba to Jewish parents who had immigrated from Turkey. At the age of 19 she married Enrique Ros, a catholic. Though Ros-Lehtinen notes that some felt the marriage wouldn't last because of their mixed faiths the union lasted 65 years up until her death.