Tony Hawk announces his mother has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's

(CNN) Tony Hawk's mother, Nancy Elizabeth Hawk, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

The retired professional skateboarder made the announcement on Facebook on Monday.

"My mom died peacefully this afternoon after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's and Dementia," he wrote . "We watched helplessly as she slid away -- mentally and physically -- in rapid decline over the last few years. With each visit it became less likely that there would be any signs of recognition."

Hawk said his mother grew up during the Great Depression. She had two jobs by age 14, he said, and married Hawk's father after he enlisted in the Navy during World War II. She went on to raise four children and eventually earned a doctorate in business management "at an age that most would choose to retire from work altogether," Hawk said.

Hawk also described how his mother was supportive of his skating career at a time when most parents might have wanted their children to pursue other interests.