Stan Lee’s Wife Joan Dies At 93 After Suffering Stroke

Stan Lee is grieving the loss of his wife, Joan.

Joan Lee, 93, died on Thursday in Los Angeles. Her passing was confirmed by Lee’s representative. “I can confirm the sad news that Joan Lee passed away this morning quietly and surrounded by her family,” the spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “The family ask that you please give them time to grieve and respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

Joan reportedly suffered a stroke earlier this week. She was hospitalized, but did not make it.

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Marvel has also issued a statement on their website after news of Joan’s death broke. “Marvel mourns the loss of Joan Lee,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband and daughter. We are so saddened to hear about the loss of Joan Lee. We lost a member of the Marvel family today and our thoughts and prayers go out to Stan and his daughter Joan in this difficult time.”

Joan and Lee exchanged vows on Dec. 5, 1947. The couple was devoted to each other and has been married for 69 years. They had two children together — Joan Celia, born in 1950, and Jan, who was born in 1953 but died three days after her birth.

Just last year, Lee opened up to THR about how he met Joan during an interview for his 75th anniversary as a comic book writer. He revealed that Joan had been devastated after her childhood sweetheart wed another woman. She impulsively married an American soldier during World War II and moved to New York, but she was not happy with her life. Lee’s cousin wanted to set him up with a hat model in Laden Hats named Betty. He went to the place, but it was not Betty who answered the door. This wae the first time he saw Joan.

“I took one look at her — and she was the girl I had been drawing all my life. And then I heard the English accent. And I’m a nut for English accents!” Lee recounted. “She said, ‘May I help you?’ And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, ‘I love you.’ I don’t remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to [Joan] at lunch.”

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