The bell that will toll for us all has been tolled for Lady Joan Branson.  On Tuesday, her husband, Sir Richard Branson made the simple announcement:

“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner of 50 years, has passed away….”  

Within minutes of the announcement, thousands expressed their condolences.  That number will rise dramatically because Sir Richard is still a celebrity on any continent he touches and Joan would have been introduced to the world time and again.

Our heart goes out to him for we knew that Joan was the light on his path and his sun rose and set in her.

The term soulmate hardly applies for having listened to him over the years, her heartbeat resonated in his chest.

We had multiple opportunities to witness his quiet but fierce protection of her.  And she was never the type to claim the spotlight.  If you didn’t know her you would never realize that she was the wife of the man with the most recognizable face on earth.

Of course, his daring bravado must have caused her angst through the years and, likely, his quest to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon multiple times and his recent flirtation in the mesosphere ranked high.  

We say nothing of his investigations into the feasibility of descending the Puerto Rico trench, (The Milwaukee Deep) measuring 27,480 feet, the deepest waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

But Joan was not one to claim the limelight.  She was content to be a wife, mom and grandma; At times, a hostess.  

She seemed ecstatic to rule the world in the manner that, especially women of all ages have; “The hand that rocks the cradle…” and all that.

She would have been instrumental in helping Sir Richard to descend from the high wires where his exuberance and intense competitive spirit led him, sometimes to his detriment.

And from time to time, she may have even doused him with a good stream of reality.

She understood her role, hardly ever ‘flew past her nest’ and played her part to perfection.

The Bransons have been fixtures in the Territory of the Virgin Islands, on Necker Island, for decades.  Virgins by choice.  

On Necker, he created an idyllic getaway with a Balinese theme and an animal and bird sanctuary.  Perhaps that prompted his son to take up residence in Bali for a few years where Joan enjoyed visiting.

But you knew Joan was in her element when she was surrounded by her husband, children, their spouses and her grandchildren.  

We saw that scene played out repeatedly at Nova on Oil Nut Bay.  And we recognized that in the end, the family, the foundation of communities and nations can only be overlooked and diluted to the bane of civilization.

For in the end, when one has gained the world, what keeps one happiest is the ability to fly to the predictability of the relationships cultivated over the span of a lifetime.  And family ranks high in those relationships 

We are told that Lady Joan Branson drew her last breath, unexpectedly, in a London hospital where her husband, having wiped out on his bike in India, also ended up as a patient.

It was fortuitous that he had lunch with her the day prior to her demise, but unfortunate that they were far from their beloved Necker; The scene of their wedding 5 decades prior and a happy place for the family.

But Necker was and remains the place where the world convenes with her husband to discuss innovations and ideas in business, technology, education, environmental issues, global issues, security, the war on drugs and much more.

And, of course, Necker is also a 5-star resort where people frequent to have fun and celebrate life.

And Lady Branson would have been touched by all this movement for she knew her husband was in his element especially when he thought he was making the world a better place and contributing to the happiness and wellbeing of others.

One Saturday morning, he joined my colleagues and me on our usual walk up the Paharamtown hill and around the Hawk’s Nest.  The steepness of the never-ending hill was so challenging that he told us with a hearty laugh that if anything untoward happened to him, get the body back to Necker.

The penny dropped.  For all his global investments, Necker is the beloved homestead of the Bransons.

Lady Joan Branson expired knowing that she was loved to shreds by her family.

She is already missed by them, close friends and a legion of well-wishers.

And those who draw from the well on Fridays would, we feel certain, wish our most prominent resident, strength.

Strength to face what lies ahead without the woman he loves by his side.

Happy Friday!