Joan Templeman,Wife of Richard Branson,Dies at 80
Richard Branson’s wife,Joan Templeman,has died at the age of 80,the British billionaire announced Tuesday. The loss marks the end of a 50-year partnership with the founder of the Virgin Group, a business empire spanning airlines, space tourism, and music ventures.
Branson shared the news on social media, describing Templeman as his “best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.” She was the mother to Holly, Sam, and sarah Clare, and a grandmother to numerous grandchildren. Their marriage in 1989 followed a courtship that began in 1976.
The couple first met at The Manor, a recording studio in Oxfordshire, England, where Templeman worked in an antique shop specializing in vintage signs. Branson recounted in a 2020 blog post how he was drawn to her down-to-earth nature,noting she “wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics.” He became a regular customer,acquiring a collection of old tin signs advertising products like Hovis bread and Woodbine cigarettes.
Templeman was known for her privacy, yet Branson has consistently acknowledged her unwavering support throughout his career. In a 2020 post, he described her as someone who had “always stood by me mentally, emotionally and spiritually.”
Their family experienced heartbreak with the loss of daughter Sarah Clare shortly after her birth in 1979.
Son sam Branson honored his mother as ”the kindest, most loving, warm and abundantly generous woman to walk this Earth,” expressing deep gratitude for having her as his mother.
