Elliott Roosevelt, 80; Book by Son of FDR Stirred Furor

Elliott Roosevelt, a son of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and best-selling author who caused a stir when he revealed details of his parents’ private life, died Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 80.

Roosevelt died of congestive heart failure at his home, said his wife, Patricia.

In “An Untold Story,” the first of three books on the Roosevelt family, he drew the wrath of his siblings and many critics for revealing his parents’ marital problems and FDR’s relationship with his former secretary.

Roosevelt criticized history’s view of his parents in the 1973 book, writing: “These legendary beings, immune to frailty and human passion, are not the father we children loved, nor the mother we respected.”

Born Sept. 23, 1910, in New York City, Roosevelt worked on a Wyoming dude ranch as a child and later owned a cattle ranch in Colorado. He dabbled in advertising and radio, and was a former mayor of Miami Beach and a Democratic National Committeeman from Florida.

During World War II, he commanded the multinational aerial reconnaissance wing that played a key role in the Allies’ D-Day landings in France, as well as the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. He flew 89 missions, was wounded twice and was decorated for valor by the United States, France, Morocco and England.

He launched his writing career in 1946 with the best-selling book, “As He Saw It,” about his experiences as an aide to his father at five historic wartime summit meetings.

Later, he turned to mystery, using his mother, Eleanor, as a sleuth sniffing out crime in the White House. “Murder in the Rose Garden,” published last year, began with the discovery of the body of a well-known Washington hostess on the White House grounds. Several more books will be published posthumously.

Roosevelt is survived by his wife; a brother, James, of Newport Beach; eight children; 21 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held Tuesday in Scottsdale.