Joan Morecambe, who was the widow of Eric Morecambe, has passed away 'peacefully' on her 97th birthday after a brief illness, as confirmed by her family.
She got married to the famous comedian, known for his comedy duo Morecambe and Wise with Ernie Wise, in Margate in 1952.
Joan was known as a loyal wife to Eric until he died 40 years ago in May 1984 at the age of 58. He died of a heart attack.
The couple had three children together – a daughter Gail and sons Gary and Steven.
Her children issued a statement expressing their deep sadness and announcing the peaceful passing of their mother, Joan, at the age of 97 after a short illness.
‘Our family requests some privacy during this difficult time.’
Born on March 26, 1927, she died on her 97th birthday on Tuesday.
Morecambe and Wise, who passed away in 1999 at the age of 73, remain as the most beloved and long-lasting comedy stars in British TV history.
In 2015, Joan was honored with an OBE for charitable work in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
She also served as the founder and president of the Lady Taverners, part of the Lord’s Taverners youth cricket and disability sports charity, from 1987 to 1992.
Joan spent her early years in Burma for about five years while her father was serving in the army.
After returning to the UK from attending school there, Joan noticed the difference between the vibrant world of Burma and the dull one in England.
‘We went from the beautiful landscapes of Burma to the bustling city of London with its pollution and dirt,’ she explained in an interview with MorecambeandWise.com.
‘It was worse back then and I kept thinking, “We can't stay here, we must be moving on soon.”’
Shortly after, the war broke out and they left ‘almost overnight’ and she eventually lived with her grandmother in Surrey.
With her father being promoted to officer, she moved to the army camp at Tidworth and attended school there before working at a local garage.
Joan found modeling by chance after a spontaneous holiday with a former boyfriend.
‘I was at the seaside with a boyfriend at the time. We had never had a holiday because of the war, so we both thought it would be a good idea to go to this holiday camp,’ she explained.
‘There were the usual competitions and everyone was pushing their friends into them. I got pushed into the beauty contest and surprisingly I won. The prize was a modeling course at Lucy Claytons, a modeling agency.’
Joan described how eager she was to start a career, and how her mother allowed her to move to London. There, she worked at a tailor's shop in Knightsbridge, modeling their clothes.
After that, she landed more modeling jobs, but Joan remembered that it wasn't always glamorous.
She mentioned that all performers had similar experiences to her, including dealing with unpleasant accommodations, difficult landladies, and hard work. She remarked that these aspects don't sound glamorous.
During her time on tour, she met Morecambe. Initially, there was no romantic connection, but their love developed as they supported each other in the performing world.
