Late NBA Champion, Bill Russell Was Married Four Times And Was With His Fourth Wife, Jeannine At The Time Of His Passing

November 4, 2026

This article was last updated by Aditi Rai on October 23, 2026

Late NBA player Bill Russell had four marriages throughout his life and was married to his wife, Jeannine Russell, at his demise.

Bill away on July 31, 2026, at 88. He had been married to Jeannine for six years at the time.

The NBA Champion married his first wife and college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, in 1956 but divorced after 17 years of marriage in 1973.

Bill shared his only three children- Karen Russell, William Russell Jr., and Jacob Russell with his first wife, Rose.

Unfortunately, the basketball star had to face the tragic loss of his son, William, in 2016 from cancer.

Bill Russell Married Thrice After His First Divorce And Renewed His Wedding Vows With His Fourth Wife, Jeannine, in 2026

married his second wife, Dorothy Anstett, in 1977, but the couple split up after just three years in 1980.

Moreover, Dorothy was a pageant queen who had won the title of Miss USA in 1968 and was equally famous then.

However, her relationship with Bill took a turn for the worse in a short period of time.

Later, on his 66th birthday in 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault.

Over the years of their marriage, the couple lived happily until Marilyn tragically passed away in 2009 from cancer weeks before their ninth wedding anniversary.

Further, NBA Commissioner David Stern that he had called Marilyn weeks before her passing, sharing the news that he had named the Finals MVP award after Bill.

After mourning the loss of his dear wife for years, Russell met former professional golfer Jeannine Fiorito.

Bill married his fourth wife, Jeannine, in 2018 when he was 84 years old and remained with her until his death.

Additionally, earlier in 2026, the couple renewed their vows, and Bill shared a picture of the occasion in an post, writing:

Happy 1 year vow renewal to my wonderful wife. We realized today we were married on the 8th, and renewed our vows on the 24th.

Bill passed away with Jeannine by his side just after two years of renewing his wedding vows with her.

Jeannine Russell Was A Successful Former Professional Golf Player

Bill Russell and his wife, kept a low online profile, and there is little information about her. Moreover, the details of how they met have always been a mystery.

Jeannine is a former professional golf player who had a pretty successful career.

Additionally, the former golf player placed 15th at the CN Canadian Women’s Tour in 2009.

That same year, she also completed 64 at the Canadian Women’s Tour in British Columbia and 19th at the Canadian Women’s Tour in Ontario.

Further, Jeannine Russell earned the title of Player of the Year in one of her 2010 .

However, she stopped playing before marrying Bill and rarely discussed her professional career publicly.

In Case You Didn’t Know

Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA for 13 years and won 11 NBA Championships during his time there.
Russell won five NBA MVP awards, made 12 NBA All-Star appearances, won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.
After ending his playing career, Bill worked as head coach for the Seattle Super Sonics for four years till 1977.

Check other Articles on

Mahima is an inquisitive soul with a passion for books, music and movies- especially when it comes to overanalyzing them. An avid learner who likes learning anything and everything, with a slightly competitive streak, Mahima values meaningful conversations and finds joy in life's little quirks.

May 13, 2026

May 12, 2026

Comments

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

- May 13, 2026 Residents of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, are raising serious concerns after a series of violent incidents involving a group of young boys who have been targeting...

- May 13, 2026 Andrew O' Donnell of Fairfield, Connecticut, passed away at the age of 39. He was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, and later moved to Ancramdale, New...

- May 12, 2026 Judy (Evans) Milby of Rockwall, Texas, passed away on Saturday at the age of 80. Milby was born on July 25, 1945, to her father,...

- May 12, 2026 Residents of Dromore, Co. Down, are calling for action after a deeply concerning incident at the local play park, where older children were reported...

- May 11, 2026 A video circulating on Facebook has sparked a heated debate among Bell Gardens residents after police were called on a group of kids riding...