Marilyn Lovell, the wife of Apollo 13 commander James A. Lovell Jr., passed away at the age of 93 on August 27 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Mrs. Lovell was known for her stoicism and resilience during the troubled Apollo 13 mission, which came to symbolize the emotional challenges faced by astronauts’ wives. She lived a life of military rigor, following her husband’s naval and NASA career, and played a pivotal role in raising their four children alone. Despite the sexist coverage of the era, she always prioritized her husband’s dream of going to the moon.
Mrs. Lovell’s support and sacrifice were not taken for granted by Capt. Lovell. He often found ways to let her know that he was thinking of her in space. On one occasion, he sent her a mink coat with a card that read, “To Marilyn — from the Man in the Moon.” He even named a lunar mountain “Mount Marilyn” after her. However, there were also moments of impending doom and superstition that Mrs. Lovell experienced. She feared the number 13, and the day before the Apollo 13 launch, her wedding ring slipped off and fell down the drain, which only heightened her worries.
The ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970, did not receive much media coverage initially. However, on April 13, Mrs. Lovell received a shocking phone call informing her that there had been an explosion on board. For the next four days, the world anxiously watched as NASA attempted to rescue the astronauts. Mrs. Lovell put on a brave face for reporters, even offering them ham sandwiches on her lawn, but behind closed doors, she prayed and contemplated life without her husband.
On April 17, Capt. Lovell and the other astronauts successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, with everyone surviving. Mrs. Lovell later admitted that for those four days, she did not know if she would be a wife or a widow. The remarkable story of Apollo 13 was immortalized by director Ron Howard in the hit movie of the same name in 1995. Tom Hanks played Capt. Lovell, while Kathleen Quinlan portrayed Mrs. Lovell and received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
Born Marilyn Lillie Gerlach in Milwaukee on July 11, 1930, Mrs. Lovell was the youngest of five siblings. She and Capt. Lovell attended the same high school, where they exchanged shy glances. They continued to date throughout high school and college, finally getting married in 1952 after Capt. Lovell’s graduation. Mrs. Lovell was an active member of the Astronaut Wives Club, providing support and counsel to other wives. However, after the Apollo 13 incident, she forbade her husband from traveling to space again.
Capt. Lovell pursued a career in the telecommunications industry and later ran a restaurant near Chicago. The Lovells’ marriage was one of the few astronaut unions to withstand the stress of spaceflight. Mrs. Lovell always maintained faith in her husband’s safe return. She is survived by her husband, four children, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. The legacy of Marilyn Lovell, a woman of strength and resilience, will forever be tied to the emotional challenges faced by the wives of astronauts during the space program.