Buzz Aldrin’s Ex-Wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, Has Died

Lois Driggs Cannon, the ex-wife of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, died months ago in Utah, according to her obituary. She was 88.

Cannon died on July 17 of natural causes in Salt Lake City. While she and Aldrin did not have children throughout their 23-year marriage, she leaves behind two daughters, Lisa Cannon and Brynn Cannon, and a son, Bryant Cannon, from her first marriage to Bryant W. Cannon, to whom she was married for 27 years. She is also survived by her siblings, Gary Driggs and Anne Driggs Christensen.

Cannon married Aldrin in 1988 after meeting him in 1985. According to her obituary, the couple “capitalized on [Aldrin’s] achievements in a business they built together as he promoted his vision of a sky without limits.” The two divorced in 2011.

“Lois used to say, ‘Life doesn’t always give you what you want. The key is making the most of what you have. Every day when you wake up you can choose to be happy,’” her obituary in The Arizona Republic reads.

The Blast reports that the divorce was “extremely bitter” and that Cannon received half of Aldrin’s money and over $9,000 per month in alimony.

Before Aldrin married Cannon, he was married to Joan Archer from 1954 to 1974 and shared three children with her (James, Janice and Andrew) before her death in 2015. His second marriage was to Beverly Van Zile from 1975 to 1978. Aldrin has one grandson, Jeffrey Schuss, born to his daughter, Janice, and three great-grandsons.

The Blast also reports that Aldrin has been going through another legal battle with his family as he sues two of his children, as well as a former business manager, for allegedly misusing his credit cards and transferring his money without his permission.

Aldrin, 88, claims that his son Andrew refuses to notify him about pending or future business transactions, removes large sums of money from his accounts and continues to represent him financially and socially, despite the fact that Aldrin has repeatedly asked him to stop. He also claims that his daughter Janice also used his credit cards without permission.

Andrew and Janice argue with the former business manager, Christina Korp, that Aldrin is mentally impaired through dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Aldrin alleges that the three slandered him with those claims. Most recently, Aldrin’s attorney filed documents earlier this month requesting to withdraw from the case.

Attorney Steven Selz explained in court documents obtained by The Blast that “irreconcilable differences have arisen by and between” himself and Aldrin which make it impossible to continue to “adequately and proper represent the Plaintiff in this matter.”

Selz argues that his dropping of the case will not impede Aldrin’s ability to win his case, as a trial date has not yet been set and the case is still in the early stages.

The judge has yet to rule on Selz’s request. A hearing has been set for later this month to rule on Aldrin’s kids request to review records that they say show Aldrin’s memory is impaired.