MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Who is Desmond Tutu's wife? Anti-apartheid icon and Nobel laureate dies at 90

Tutu and Nomalizo Leah were married on 2 July, 1955 and completed 66 years together this year

Anti-apartheid icon and South Africa's archbishop Desmond Tutu has died aged 90. President Cyril Ramaphosa tweeted, "The passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa." Tutu is survived by his wife and daughters Mpho Andrea, Naomi Nontombi, Theresa Thandeka, and son Trevor Thamsanqa.

Ramaphosa added, "Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead. We pray that Archbishop Tutu’s soul will rest in peace but that his spirit will stand sentry over the future of our nation." Other significant icons that died this year include bell hooks, Timuel Black, Charles Grodin, and Sasha Johnson.

READ MORE 

Who is Bob Moses's wife Dr Janet Jemmott? Civil rights activist and Math pioneer dies at 86

Who is Kristen Clarke? First Black woman to lead DOJ civil rights division gets lone GOP vote from Susan Collins

Who is Desmond Tutu's wife Nomalizo Leah Tutu?

Tutu's wife Nomalizo Leah Shenxane, 88, is a South Africa-based activist, teacher, and nurse. She also co-founded the South African Domestic Workers Association. She also founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Center in 1988. She served as an assistant to the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland between 1970 and 1972. Then from 1976 to 1984, she was the director of the Domestic Workers and Employers Project of the South African Institute of Race Relations. In 2000, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of National Louis University along with Tutu. She along with her husband also received the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award by the We Are Family Foundation in 2009. The power couple renewed their marriage vows in 2015 and completed 66 years of being married in July this year.

Tutu's supporters have flocked to social media to pay tribute. "His infectious smile and laugh will be missed by everyone around the world. A kind, caring, humble and beautiful souls," read a tweet. " A great tree has fallen indeed," wrote another. "He was a patriot without equal in deed , suffered torture under apartheid police brutality. But stood firm for the oppressed," wrote a third. "The Arch. You spent your whole life in service to humanity - across the board. You stood up for the truth, and your amazing legacy will live on. You can now Rest In Peace," a fourth tweeted.