She was there when they started the music and lit the lights, but today, we're very sad to report that Jane Henson, former wife of Jim Henson, has died at the age of 78. The Jim Henson Company confirmed that she passed away at her home in Connecticut on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer,
Born in New York City in 1934, Jane trained in fine art and met her future husband in a puppetry class at the University of Maryland. Theirs was a long romance, with the pair finally marrying in 1959. They legally separated in 1986, but Jane stayed involved with the company.
She sat on the board of the Jim Henson Foundation, and established the Jim Henson Legacy after the iconic puppeteer passed away in 1990. She is survived by her five children, including her daughter Cheryl, who is currently president of the Jim Henson Foundation.
RIP.
