Betty Wold Johnson, mother of Jets owners Woody and Christopher, dead at 99

Betty Wold Johnson, the mother of Jets owners Woody and Christopher, has died at the age of 99. The team announced her passing on Friday but did not specify a date or cause of death.

Johnson “was a renown philanthropist and long-time contributor to arts, education and healthcare initiatives throughout the New Jersey and New York regions,” per the Jets’ obituary. She was described as “a staunch supporter of her sons and their passions” who “used to refer to Jets players as her grandchildren.”

“There are very few people in this world who live to 99,” said former Jets RB Curtis Martin. “And I’m sure if you go back and look at everything she did for other people, you could probably write a book on her from a philanthropic standpoint… She had such a charitable heart and a charitable way about her.”

Per the team’s release, Johnson grew up in Minnesota, where she attended Golden Gophers games with her father. She married Robert Wood Johnson, who died in 1970. The couple had five children together, including Woody and Christopher.