Mae Louise Allen was the wife of American baseball player Willie Mays. The two had met through a mutual friend, Wilt Chamberlain, who had given Willie her number. They had an on-and-off relationship for close to a decade before they finally decided to get married in 1971. During their marriage, Mae Louise Allen and her husband had no children.
Education and Career
Mae Louise Allen studied up to college. After high school, she joined the University of Pittsburgh, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Mae went for further education at Howard University, graduating with a master’s degree in social work. Mae Allen started working as a child welfare worker after completing her education.
Mae Louise Allen was based in San Francisco; she was very influential in pioneering single adoptions in San Francisco. Even after getting married to Willie Mays, she continued to work as a child welfare worker until the late 1990s.
Her Husband
Mae’s husband began his baseball career as a teen, playing with Birmingham Black Barons until he signed with San Francisco Giants after turning eighteen and completing high school. In his rookie year, he won the Rookie of the Year Award. He played with the San Francisco Giants until 1972, after which he joined the New York Mets.
Mae’s husband made great achievements throughout his baseball career, including winning the Gold Glove Award for twelve consecutive seasons. He also won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1971. His jersey number 24 was retired at San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Willie Mays is regarded as one of the best baseball players ever to play the game.
Mae Louise Allen’s husband was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
Mae’s Husband’s Life After Baseball
After retiring from baseball as a player, Willie Mays continued working with the New York Mets, where he was their hitting instructor until 1979. Later that year, Mae’s husband started working as a special assistant for Bally’s Park Place president. In 1985, he returned to baseball as an assistant to the New York Giants general manager.
When Willie Mays’s wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he supported her as much as he could. Besides, Mae Louise Allen’s husband appeared in some films, including Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid movie.
Mae’s Husband’s Health Concerns
After he retired from baseball-related activities, Mae Louise’s husband started playing golf, but he was forced to stop in 2005 after he was diagnosed with glaucoma; moreover, he also stopped driving. They were some rumors in 2018 that Willie Mays had become blind, but according to a report by The New York Times Magazine, Mae’s husband could see even watch television but with difficulty.
Illness and Death
Mae Louise Allen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1997, affecting her capacity to function normally. However, her husband, Willie Mays, supported her for sixteen years until she succumbed to the disease on April 19, 2013. At the time of her death, she was 74 and buried in California, United States.
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