Gilles Villeneuve Wife: Who was Joann Villeneuve?

Joann Villeneuve was the wife of Canadian race car driver Gilles Villeneuve. Joann and Gilles Villeneuve got married in 1970 and had two children together, a son named Jacques Villeneuve and a daughter named Melanie Villeneuve.

Joann Villeneuve was supportive of Gilles’ racing career and stood by his side throughout his journey in Formula One. During his early career, Villeneuve travelled with his family in a motorhome during the racing season, a practice he continued to some extent during his Formula One career.

When Gilles was in testing, his son Jacques would go to watch his father climbing a tree as he sped around the circuit, entrenching in him a love for motorsport at a young age. But as the wife of a driver involved in a highly dangerous racing environment, Joann could not relax when watching from the garage – not even when attending dozens of races.

Gilles tragically lost his life during the qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix on May 8, 1982. His death changed everything for Joann. Her life had shifted from glamorous race weekends to the difficulty of becoming a single parent to her two young children overnight and caring for them while processing her tragic loss was difficult.