Rupert Murdoch's mother dies at 103

Melbourne - Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, mother of News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, died at her Melbourne home Wednesday. She was 103.

Mrs. Murdoch is survived by three of her four children — Rupert Keith, Janet Calvert-Jones, and Anne Kantor — after her daughter, Helen Handbury, died in 2004. She is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "We have lost the most wonderful mother but we are all grateful to have had her love and wisdom for so many years," Rupert said in a statement. "Her energy and personal commitment made our country a more hopeful place and she will be missed by many." The New Yorker recently profiled one of those grandchildren, also named Elisabeth. In the profile, Fox News President Roger Ailes took special note of the elder Elisabeth's age as well as the Murdoch family's general longevity. "When the Queen Mum died, at one hundred and one," he recalled, "I said to Rupert, ‘She had a good run.’ Murdoch replied, 'I’d call it an early death.'" Author Neil Chenoweth quoted Dame Elisabeth as finding complete bliss in her achievements. "My life’s been so full," she explained happily. "I think that’s been fortunate, but that’s something to do with one’s nature. I don’t waste time."