Joan Lee, the wife of the famed writer of Marvel Comics Stan Lee, died Thursday in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke earlier this week, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She was 93.

Lee’s wife of 69 years “passed away this morning quietly and surrounded by her family,” a statement released by the family reportedly said. “The family asks that you please give them time to grieve and respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement added.

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No other details have been released have been released by the family. Joan was hospitalized earlier this week due to a stroke. It remains unclear when exactly she was taken to the hospital, sources told the Hollywood Reporter.

Following are some facts about Joan:

  • Joan was credited by Lee with supporting him during the initial stages of his career. In the 1950s, Lee had decided to quit comic writing after suffering from depression due to his career. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter last July, Lee recalled what his wife told him when he contemplated of quitting: "Before you quit why don’t you write one comic you are proud of?" And following this, Lee wrote “The Fantastic Four.”
  • In 2002, Joan revealed in an interview during the shooting of “Mutants, Monsters & Marvels” she was married when she first met Lee in 1947. When Lee first saw her he told one of his friends, “I’ve drawn this girl’s face a thousand times and I’m going to marry her.” But, according to Joan, his friend told him: “No you can’t, she’s married already and he [Lee] said it doesn’t matter.” Joan further said six weeks later she was divorced. She later married Lee in 1947.
  • In an interview in 2016, Lee told the Hollywood Reporter, his cousin set him up with a hat model named Betty. When Lee went to meet her at her house, Joan opened the door. “I took one look at her — and she was the girl I had been drawing all my life. And then I heard the English accent. And I’m a nut for English accents! She said, 'May I help you?' And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, 'I love you.' I don’t remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to [Joan] at lunch,” Lee said.

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  • Joan has two daughters with Lee — Joan Celia was born in 1950 and Jan was born in 1953. However, Jan passed away days later.
  • Joan did voice work for “Fantastic Four’s” Miss Forbes and in “Spider-Man” as Madame Web in the 1990’s animated Marvel shows. She also played a small role in 2016’s “X-Men: Apocalypse.”
  • In 1987, Lee’s wife also wrote a novel — “The Pleasure Palace.”
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