For thirty years, Jane Hawking had been married to Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known. Stephen was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist who worked at the University of Cambridge as Director of Research at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology – before his death. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the United States of America, Stephen enjoyed profound fame and recognition for his great scientific work nationally and globally.
Beyond the popularity of her then-husband, Jane Hawking established herself as an author and English teacher. His memoir – Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen was adapted into the 2014 film The Theory of Everything. Let’s flip through the pages of his life story to learn more about what it was like to live with one of the world’s most revered scholars and how it all came to an end.
Biography and age of Jane Hawking
On March 29, 1944, Jane Hawking was born and named Jane Beryl Wilde by her parents – Beryl and George Wilde. She spent her early years in St Albans, UK, where she was also born.
Without finding any credible information on her early educational research, we understand that Jane Hawking graduated from Westfield College, University of London with a degree in languages. A fervent academic, she continued her studies up to the level of doctorate, which she was able to reach after spending a few years on her doctoral thesis. She eventually got her doctorate. in Medieval Spanish Poetry from Westfield College in 1981. For her, a Ph.D. was needed as a rite of passage in the academic world of Cambridge.
Family: relationship with Stephen Hawking
As mentioned earlier, Jane Hawking was married to the late physicist Stephen Hawking. They met in 1962 with the help of a few mutual friends at a party. In 1963, shortly after they started dating, Stephen was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, but that never proved a stumbling block for their union. Their love blossomed and soon they got engaged in 1964 and in 1965 they made it official with a wedding ceremony in their home town of St Albans. Their first child was born in 1967 and was named Robert. Lucy, the second fruit of their union, joined the family in 1970 while the last child arrived in 1979 and was named Timothy.
During their marriage, Stephen’s doctor’s condition gradually deteriorated, but she did a good job of taking care of him. She suffered from depression due to the stress she had to endure, but according to her, it was her faith as a Christian that carried her through those difficult times. Ironically, Stephen Hawking was an unapologetic atheist.
Their marriage turned sour towards the end of the 80s. Stephen Hawking and one of his nurses, Elaine Mason, had begun to grow too close to be comforting and eventually confirmed the fears of everyone around them when he became clear that it was an article. Consequently, Stephen left his family in 1990, telling Jane he was happier with Mason. It took five years before the divorce between Jane and Stephen was finalized and in September 1995 Stephen took Mason, the woman he professed undying love for, as his wife. Apparently, it wasn’t a match made in heaven when they divorced in 2006. After Stephen divorced his second wife, Jane was very supportive of his job and his well-being.
Stephen Hawking battled motor neuron disease for a record fifty years, beating the doctor’s diagnosis of having just two years to live. He finally passed away on March 14, 2018 and was 76 when he died. His legacy and contributions to science still impact scholars around the world.
Meanwhile, Jane Hawking married musician Jonathan Hellyer Jones, in 1996. In a 2004 TV movie titled Hawking, Jane Hawking was played by Lisa Dillon. Another movie about his life came in 2014, dubbed The Theory of Everything. It originated from his memoir Voyage to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. Her role in the film was portrayed by Felicity Jones, a role which earned the actress an Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category.