Basketball legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88, making people remember the life he led and the legacy the basketball player left behind for everyone to remember.
The athlete had a lot of success stories and seemingly many partners during his 88 years. One of his wives, Marilyn Nault, was a massive part of the NBA legend’s life.
Let us learn more about his love life with his former wife, Marilyn Nault, and her life before it was cut short.
Who Was Marilyn Nault? Wife Of The Legendary Basketball Player
Marilyn Nault was the wife of the basketball legend Bill Russel, a professional basketball player in the 50s and 60s who had a long coaching career in the years after.
Bill Russel’s wife was born in Concordia, Kansas, to Quentin and Helen Nault in 1950 on January 14, where she attended Catholic school alongside her four brothers.
Before meeting the legendary basketball player, she was a jewelry salesperson, and Bill was married to his first wife, Rose Swisher.
The couple met and started dating in 1996 and married on February 17, 2000, four years into dating. Bill and Marilyn were married until 2009 tragedy struck the couple and their family.
What Happened To Bill Russell’s Ex-Wife?
Bill Russell was a talented man, but it seems he was not lucky when it came to marriages, as his loving wife, Marilyn Nault, passed away in 2009, nine years after their marriage.
His first and second marriages were not as successful as they ended in divorce. Bill’s first ex-wife was Rose Swisher, who married the young athlete in 1956 on December 9. The couple had three children together, but the couple separated in 1973 after almost two decades together.
Russell then married Dorothy Anstett, who was born in Washington, which was hard on both parties as interracial marriages were not legal in America yet. The couple divorced in 1980 after having trouble dealing with the idea of interracial marriage.
Sadly, his third marriage with Marilyn Nault was also short-lived for less than a decade since her death did them apart as Bill’s third wife died due to illness.
Marilyn Nault Children & Family
Marilyn Nault and Bill Russell had a loving and caring relationship, but the couple did not have any children. However, Russell had children from his first marriage, and Marilyn was happy to accept them as her children.
Nault became a stepmother to three of Bill’s children: Karen Russell, William Russel Jr., and Jacob Russell.
The eldest of them all, Jacob Russell was born in 1959, making him only nine years younger than his stepmother, who is currently married and lives in Washington.
WIlliam Russell Jr. is the second son born in 1957 who passed away after battling cancer in 2016.
The youngest of them all is Karen Russell, who was born in 1962 and graduated from Harvard Law School. She works as a legal and political analyst for Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights.
Marilyn Nault Age At Death
The beloved wife of Bill Russell, Marilyn Nault, was born in 1950 and passed away in 2009 at a relatively young age of 59 years.
The cause of her death was never made public by her family members, but in an Interview, Russell hinted at cancer being the cause of her death as he said,
“In January, I lost my life partner. Whenever I hear the word cancer, I feel sad.”
Russell had now moved on from his ex-wife, Marilyn, and was happily married to his new wife, Jeanine Russell, a competitive golfer, before he passed away on July 31.