WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain's rebellious streak didn't come out of nowhere. His mother, Roberta, had a habit of speeding behind the wheel and racking up tickets. When told during a trip to Europe that she was too old to rent a car, she went out and bought a Peugeot. Her son once answered the telephone to hear his mother say she was on a cross-country driving trip — by herself, in her 90s.

Now 106, the wife and mother of Navy admirals lived a life of full of travel and adventure, punctuated by her sass and determination.

She once said her son liked to hold her up as an example of "what he hop...