Marilyn Lillie Lovell was the wife of NASA astronaut Jim Lovell and an active member of the Astronaut Wives Club.
- Died: August 27, 2023 (Who else died on August 27?)
- Details of death: Died in Lake Forest, Illinois, of natural causes at the age of 93.
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Marilyn Lillie Lovell’s legacy
Lovell met her future astronaut husband while they were attending Juneau High School in Milwaukee, and they were married in 1952. As Jim’s career took him from the U.S. Navy to NASA, Lovell supported him and their four children. She also took on an active role in the Astronaut Wives Club, supporting other astronauts’ wives and promoting her husband’s career and accomplishments.
Though she never went into outer space, the Moon’s landscape is still marked by her name. As one of the Apollo 8 astronauts who orbited the Moon in preparation for the Moon landing, Jim noted a large, triangular peak while scouting for potential landing sites. Since he was the first of the crew to see it, he claimed naming rights and dubbed it Mount Marilyn. The name was unofficial for years but was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 2017.
When Apollo 13 suffered a critical error before its intended landing on the Moon, Lovell was among the wives whose worry for their husbands’ and mission’s safety became national news.
Lovell’s presence remained part of the Apollo astronauts’ stories as they were told throughout the years. In 1995, she was portrayed in “Apollo 13” by Kathleen Quinlan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. Lovell herself had a cameo in the film as a spectator at the mission’s launch. She was also featured in the 2013 book “The Astronaut Wives Club” by Lily Koppel, and she was portrayed by Holley Fain in the 2015 miniseries adapted from it. Lovell remained married to Jim for 71 years until her death.
Notable quote
“I think we girls all shared something that no other group of women shared in history.” —as quoted by CBS News Sunday Morning
Tributes to Marilyn Lillie Lovell
Full obituary: Houston Chronicle
