Who Is Margherite Wendell Chapman? Willie Mays’s First Wife

Margherita wendell Chapman

Willie Mays, the baseball icon, and Margherite Wendell Chapman were only married for five years before they called it quits. 

She had already been married twice, thus it appears that Willie Mays was her third husband. She had previously been married to a former center fielder in baseball.

Margherite, also known as Marti Marciano, was frequently characterized as a multitalented woman. She collaborated with Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali.

She served as a consultant for a few of the celebrities she hosted as well. Margherite supposedly worked for a lot of entertainers in her lifetime.

Willie Mays and Margherite Wendell Chapman after five years of marriage

The baseball player married Margherite Wendell Chapman in 1959, but soon after their nuptials, there were persistent allegations that they were happy.

In a September 23, 1958 interview, the ex-couple acknowledged their happiness with one another and asserted that they were the targets of “malicious gossip.”

The couple chose to adopt a son, Michael Mays, while they were still married. The Sherwood Forest district of San Francisco was home to the couple. 

Rumor has it that, despite the love she received from everyone in San Francisco, Margherite was unhappy living there.

She refuted the accusations and added that someone might be making a concerted effort to harm her reputation in the community.

Chapman and Mays were experiencing marital problems a few years after her husband’s 1959 interview; as a result, they chose to split and eventually file for divorce. Together, Michael and Wilmia had two children before their marriage broke down.

Where Margherite Wendell Chapman was born?

Born on November 13, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, Sadie and Frank Wendell joyfully welcomed their daughter into the world.

As time passed, Scarlett Margherite Wendell, lovingly known as Margherite Wendell Chapman or Margherite Mays, began to embrace the name Marti Marciano.

Why Margherite Wendell Chapman’s son was detained by officers?

Michael, Margherite and Willie’s adopted son, has a history of run-ins with the law. 

He was reportedly taken into custody at his New York apartment by the police following a report of an emotionally unstable individual. 

Two weapons and a tiny amount of marijuana were discovered in his apartment, according to the police report. 

Michael Mays and his girlfriend reportedly got into a fight before the police showed up.  It was reported that he had lymphatic cancer, specifically Hodgkin’s disease.

The first husband of Margherite was a singer

Margherite supposedly wed Bill Kinney, the lead vocalist of the well-known R&B/doo-wop group The Drifters, in 1950. 

She was the group’s manager at the time. The identities of her other lovers are unknown.

In 2013, her ex-husband lost his wife

After the divorce, Margherite vanished from sight, but ten years later, her ex-husband fell in love with Mae Louise Allen. 

Mae Louise Allen worked in San Francisco’s child welfare system.

After meeting Mae in New York, the 92-year-old former baseball player and Mae got together practically right away. 

Over forty years passed during their marriage. Willie May’s wife was given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1997. She struggled with it till her death on April 19, 2013. 

It is said that Mays lovingly cared for his wife before she passed away at the age of 74.

Margherite Wendell, the fifth supposedly constructed star in her lifetime

Willie Mays’s ex-wife reportedly had a fantastic career. Gladys Knight, a well-known singer, was supposedly brought to New York by her so she could record for Buddha Records. 

In addition, she gave Knight and the Pips style and behavior coaching during their stay at her house.

She supposedly served as a consultant to stars, including Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. Later, she teamed up with Ruth Bowen to help the legendary soul group the Isley Brothers further their careers.

Before retiring to Fort Lauderdale, she worked as a buyer for prestigious women’s stores in San Antonio, according to her son Michael.

Where is she now?

According to reports, Margherite passed away at the age of 84 in her Fort Lauderdale residence on July 20, 2010. 

Her dog Stoli, her brother Charles, her sister Annabelle, her son Michael, and her grandchildren Raymond and Lee were all alive when she passed away. She was also preceded in death by Wilmia, her only child.

Her family asked that donations to the American Cancer Society or the Boys and Girls Clubs of America be made in her honor instead of flowers, but the cause of her death remained a mystery.

Supposedly, her ex-husband is the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

In January 2021, Willie Mays became the oldest living Hall of Famer following the death of Tommy Lasorda.

In 1979, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Moreover, he has received a great deal of unique recognition.

He received the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award, which is the highest honor in baseball. In 1957, he received his first of twelve Gold Glove Awards.

Willie flew on Air Force One with Barack Obama to St. Louis for the 2009 All-Star Game on July 14, 2009. 

Obama awarded Mays the Presidential Medal of Freedom a few years later in remembrance. In addition, he has a long history of cinema and television roles. 

He has made appearances on TV shows like Bewitched and The Dating Game.