Who was Jane Goodall married to? All about her kids and grandchildren as iconic animal conservationist's cause of death revealed

Primatologist Jane Goodall died earlier this month on October 1, 2025, aged 91. People magazine has now confirmed on Monday, October 20, that the chimpanzee expert suffered a cardiac arrest and epilepsy, as per the death certificate, which eventually led to her demise.

Jane’s death was initially reported as natural while her institute confirmed the news. Their statement claimed that Goodall was in Los Angeles as part of her participation in a speaking tour.

Apart from establishing her institute, she served as the United Nations Messenger for Peace and won various awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her research work at places like Gombe Stream National Park also made her famous among the general public. She was married to Derek Bryceson many years ago and had previously tied the knot with Baron Hugo van Lawick.

A few days after the news was made official, Jane Goodall’s assistant, Mary Lewis, opened up on the events that happened before the former’s death. During a conversation with People magazine, Lewis said that the anthropologist was supposed to appear at UCLA and George Washington University.

Lewis said that Jane did not stop working throughout the year, and her contributions will turn out to be helpful for the entire world. She said that everyone working in Goodall’s institutes has a responsibility to continue the legacy of the popular personality.

Mary recalled that Jane Goodall was awake until the night hours a day before her death, and the duo was working together on a document. Lewis explained the same by saying:

“I was actually in bed and I saw this email flash across my phone, and I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll send a message saying, Jane, I’ve got to get up at 5 a.m. I’ll get to you tomorrow night.’ Then I thought, ‘She’s terribly busy.’ So I went and got my computer and sat in bed and started editing.”

Jane Goodall had three grandchildren: Personal life, marriages, divorce, and more

The Los Angeles, California native had a big family outside the world where she was busy with her research. Years ago, she exchanged vows twice and became the mother of a son named Hugo.

Jane Goodall’s first marriage was to Baron Hugo van Lawick. The latter was active as a photographer and filmmaker, which eventually led to a collaboration with Goodall, with Baron taking her photo for National Geographic, as per People magazine.

Jane once claimed in an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast that Baron was also attracted to animals, and he helped her over the years to make people aware of the fact that chimpanzees were also like human beings. The duo was married for 10 years, and Goodall addressed the reasons leading to their separation on the podcast, as she said:

“He had to go on with his career and he got some money to do films on the Serengeti, and I couldn’t leave Gombe. I had to stay… I couldn’t leave Gombe, and so it slowly drifted apart. And it was sad.”

Jane Goodall’s second marriage was to the former member of the Tanzania National Assembly, Derek Bryceson. In 1975, the pair tied the knot, and Derek once recalled during a conversation with People magazine that his wife’s film focusing on chimpanzees received a positive response when it was shown in the parliament. Notably, Derek died from cancer in 1980.

Jane’s son from her first marriage, Hugo, spent the majority of his childhood witnessing his mother’s research work. Hugo then moved to Bournemouth for his studies and kept on visiting Goodall occasionally. He has been featured in a few documentaries, like The Wild Dogs of Africa. According to People magazine, he has been working in Tanzania as a boat builder.

Moreover, Hugo is the father of three children, Angel, Merlin, and Nick, born from his marriage to a woman named Maria. Among Jane Goodall’s grandchildren, Angel has been active in the Roots & Shoots program through her grandmother’s institute.

Merlin is working on a project called Earth Species, serving as an ambassador and conservationist. The project is also associated with the Jane Goodall Institute. Nick has described himself as a freelance filmmaker on his LinkedIn page. He has even hosted the Unyama Podcast and was a construction laborer at his grandmother’s institute around six years ago.