Joan Templeman, the wife of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, has died at the age of 80. Branson announced her death on Tuesday in a social media post, describing her as his "best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world."
The couple had been together for 50 years and married in 1989. They had three children: Holly, Sam, and Clare Sarah, who died shortly after birth in 1979. Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit, said he was "heartbroken" by the loss.
In a 2020 blog post, Branson recounted meeting Templeman in 1976 at The Manor recording studio in Oxfordshire. She worked at an antique shop, and he would visit frequently to buy old signs. Branson described her as a "down-to-earth Scottish lady" who was not impressed by his usual antics.
Sam Branson, their son, paid tribute to his mother, calling her "the kindest, most loving, warm and abundantly generous woman to walk this Earth."
