Jane Henson, Muppets Co-Creator, Dies At Age 78

Jane Henson, who was married to her Muppets co-creator Jim Henson, died Tuesday in her Connecticut home after a lengthy fight with cancer, according to the Jim Henson Co. She was 78.

Jane and Jim met in a puppetry class at the University of Maryland. They went on to create the Muppets and were married in 1959. Henson later studied at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and worked as an art teacher at the Mead School for Human Development in Greenwich, Conn., but she remained active with the Muppets, collaborating with Jim on projects like Sesame Street Live. She was a board member of The Jim Henson Foundation and later established the Jim Henson Legacy, which sought to celebrate Jim’s artistic endeavors. She was also responsible for creating the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater. Jane and Jim were separated in 1986, and Jim passed away in 1990. They had five children.

On The Jim Henson Company website fans can read more about Jane, look at photos chronicling her career with the Muppets and even listen to recordings of her voice.