Lois Driggs Cannon: The Energetic Woman Behind Buzz Aldrin’s Later Public Life

Lois Driggs Cannon was an American educator, mother, business partner, and public figure best remembered as the third wife of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Born Lois Adele Driggs on November 2, 1929, she later became known as Lois Driggs Cannon through her first marriage and Lois Driggs Cannon Aldrin after marrying Buzz Aldrin on Valentine’s Day in 1988. Her obituary recorded that she died of natural causes in Salt Lake City on July 17, 2018, at age 88.

Who Was Lois Driggs Cannon?

Lois Driggs Cannon was a woman whose life crossed education, family, business, and American space-history culture. Many people know her because she married Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon, but her story began long before she became connected to one of the world’s most famous astronauts.

She was born into the Driggs family in Arizona and grew up during a period shaped by the Great Depression, family enterprise, faith, and Western expansion. Her obituary described her parents as Effie and Douglas H. Driggs and noted that her father was connected to Western Savings & Loan, a family business that grew as Arizona developed.

Lois was remembered as a lively, confident, and expressive person. She played piano, acted in plays, danced, and gained attention during her school years. Her life did not follow only one path. She became a student, traveler, teacher, wife, mother, and later a business partner in the public life of an American astronaut.

Early Life and Family Background

Lois Adele Driggs was born on November 2, 1929, in Miami, Arizona. Her birth came just days after the 1929 stock-market crash, a dramatic moment that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Her obituary connected her childhood to a Mormon family background and to the pioneer-rooted culture of the American West.

Her early years seem to have been filled with energy and creativity. She was not described as a quiet background figure. Instead, she appeared to enjoy performance, music, and social life. At North Phoenix High School, she was reportedly nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” a small but vivid detail that suggests her personality was remembered as spirited and strong.

This early image matters because it helps explain why Lois later became such an important presence beside Buzz Aldrin. She was not simply a passive spouse. She had confidence, charm, drive, and the ability to engage with people.

Education and Teaching Career

Education was an important part of Lois Driggs Cannon’s early adult life. After high school, she attended the University of Utah and later continued her studies at Stanford University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in education in 1951. Her obituary also states that she later earned a teaching certificate at UCLA and taught school in Beverly Hills and Palo Alto.

This part of her biography is often overlooked because most online searches focus on Buzz Aldrin. However, Lois had her own professional foundation before she became widely known through marriage. Her teaching background suggests discipline, communication skills, and an interest in shaping young lives.

Teaching also gave her a public-facing skill set. A good teacher must communicate clearly, manage people, organize details, and adapt quickly. Those abilities likely became useful later when she helped manage parts of Buzz Aldrin’s brand and public work.

Marriage to Bryant W. Cannon

Before marrying Buzz Aldrin, Lois married Bryant W. Cannon in 1955. According to her obituary, the couple married in the LDS temple in Mesa, Arizona, and later spent about a decade in Europe while Bryant worked for IBM and ITT. During that period, Lois gave birth to two daughters. After returning to Arizona, the family later welcomed a son.

Her children from that marriage were Lisa Cannon, Brynn Cannon, and Bryant Cannon. The family eventually settled in Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, where Lois and Bryant spent many years together. Her first marriage lasted 27 years, showing that the Cannon name was a major part of her adult identity before she ever became Lois Aldrin.

This background also explains why many people still search for her as Lois Driggs Cannon rather than Lois Aldrin. The Cannon name belonged to a long chapter of her life, not just a temporary surname.

Meeting Buzz Aldrin

Lois Driggs Cannon’s life changed when she met Buzz Aldrin in 1985. By then, Aldrin was already one of the most famous astronauts in history, but fame had not made his life simple. After the Apollo 11 mission, he had struggled with personal challenges, including depression and alcoholism, which he later discussed publicly.

Lois and Buzz married on February 14, 1988. The date is memorable because it was Valentine’s Day, and their marriage became a long partnership that lasted more than two decades. Wikidata lists the marriage as beginning on February 14, 1988, and ending in December 2012.

Their marriage was not only romantic. It also became professional. Lois helped Buzz rebuild and expand his public presence, turning his astronaut legacy into a broader speaking, branding, and business platform.

Lois Driggs Cannon and Buzz Aldrin’s Public Brand

One of the most important parts of Lois Driggs Cannon’s later life was her role in Buzz Aldrin’s public image and business career. ABC News reported that Lois Aldrin and her daughter Lisa Cannon played major roles in developing Buzz Aldrin’s brand through Starbuzz, a company connected to his image, appearances, and endorsements.

This work mattered because Buzz Aldrin’s identity was not just that of a retired astronaut. He became a public speaker, author, space advocate, television guest, and cultural symbol. Managing that kind of public image requires organization, planning, contacts, contracts, media judgment, and constant attention to detail.

ABC News also reported that the Starbuzz complaint claimed Lois began creating business opportunities for Aldrin after their marriage, while her attorney said Lois and Lisa had been among his biggest promoters.

In simple words, Lois was part of the machinery that kept Buzz Aldrin visible in American public life. She helped turn space-history fame into an ongoing public platform.

A Team for More Than Two Decades

Lois and Buzz Aldrin were described in her obituary as a team for 24 years. The obituary remembered her as someone who helped “keep the trains running,” a phrase that captures the behind-the-scenes work often done by spouses and business partners of public figures.

This phrase is important because famous people often receive most of the public attention, while the people managing schedules, decisions, appearances, relationships, and daily pressure remain less visible. Lois appears to have been one of those people: highly important, but not always fully recognized by the public.

Their partnership included major public appearances, space-related events, entertainment-industry events, and business activities. Stock-photo archives from agencies such as Getty and Shutterstock show Lois appearing with Buzz Aldrin at red-carpet and public events during the 2000s, including awards ceremonies and charity functions.

Divorce and Legal Disputes

Lois Driggs Cannon and Buzz Aldrin’s marriage eventually ended. Aldrin filed for divorce in June 2011, and ABC News reported that he cited irreconcilable differences after 23 years of marriage. The divorce also became connected to a business dispute involving Starbuzz and control over Aldrin’s name, image, and brand.

The situation was widely reported because Buzz Aldrin was a national figure and because the dispute involved both family and business. According to ABC News, Starbuzz sued Aldrin after the divorce filing, while Aldrin filed a counter-lawsuit, claiming he had been tricked into signing away rights connected to his name and image.

Their divorce was finalized in December 2012, ending a marriage that had lasted roughly 24 years from 1988 to 2012.

It is easy to focus only on the legal drama, but that would be unfair to the full story. Lois and Buzz shared many years of partnership before the marriage ended. Their relationship was complex, combining love, business, fame, family, and public pressure.

Lois Driggs Cannon as a Mother

Lois Driggs Cannon was also a mother of three children: Lisa Cannon, Brynn Cannon, and Bryant Cannon. Her obituary lists them as survivors and identifies Lisa Cannon as living in Salt Lake City and Brynn Cannon in Los Angeles at the time of publication.

Her daughter Lisa became especially visible because of her connection to Buzz Aldrin’s business activities. ABC News reported that Lisa Cannon played a role in developing Buzz Aldrin’s brand through Starbuzz along with Lois.

This family-business connection made Lois’s life unusual. She was not only married to a famous astronaut; she and her daughter were involved in managing public-facing business interests tied to one of the most recognizable names in space history.

Public Image and Personality

Lois Driggs Cannon was remembered for energy, enthusiasm, and resilience. Her obituary repeatedly described her as a lively person who made the most of life’s changes. It also quoted a saying attributed to her about choosing happiness each day, even when life does not give a person exactly what they want.

That outlook fits the shape of her life. She lived through major personal transitions: early life in Arizona, education in California, marriage and motherhood, years in Europe, life in Laguna Beach, marriage to Buzz Aldrin, public events, business ventures, divorce, and later years away from the spotlight.

Her public story is not only about being someone’s wife. It is about adaptability. She moved through different identities with confidence: Lois Driggs, Lois Cannon, Lois Aldrin, teacher, mother, partner, organizer, and public companion.

Why People Search for Lois Driggs Cannon

People search for Lois Driggs Cannon for several reasons. Some want to know about Buzz Aldrin’s wives. Others are interested in the personal lives of Apollo astronauts. Some search her name after seeing photos of her with Aldrin at public events. Others want to understand her role in the business side of Aldrin’s later career.

The search is also connected to curiosity about the women behind famous men. Buzz Aldrin’s moonwalk is part of world history, but his personal life after Apollo was complicated. Lois became part of the chapter in which he re-emerged as a strong public advocate for space exploration and as a cultural figure beyond NASA.

For that reason, Lois Driggs Cannon remains a recognizable name in searches connected to Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11, celebrity spouses, and space-history families.

Did Lois Driggs Cannon Have Children With Buzz Aldrin?

Lois Driggs Cannon and Buzz Aldrin did not have children together. Lois had three children from her first marriage to Bryant W. Cannon. Aldrin also had children from his first marriage to Joan Archer.

This point is important because some online biographies confuse family details. Lois was a mother, but her children were from her first marriage. Her relationship with Aldrin was later in life and was more strongly connected to companionship, public life, and business partnership.

Lois Driggs Cannon’s Death

Lois Driggs Cannon Aldrin died on July 17, 2018, in Salt Lake City. Her obituary states that she died of natural causes and was 88 years old.

She was survived by her children, Lisa Cannon, Brynn Cannon, and Bryant Cannon, as well as her siblings Gary Driggs and Anne Driggs Christensen. A private memorial celebration was planned for the fall after her death.

Her death did not receive the same kind of global attention that followed major astronaut news, but it marked the passing of a woman who had played a meaningful role in Buzz Aldrin’s later public life and in her own family’s story.

Legacy of Lois Driggs Cannon

Lois Driggs Cannon’s legacy is connected to three major areas: family, education, and public partnership. She was a teacher before she became widely known. She was a mother before she became part of the Aldrin story. And she was a business-minded partner who helped support and promote Buzz Aldrin’s public presence.

Her life also reflects the often-hidden work behind fame. When people see a famous astronaut on stage, at events, or in business campaigns, they may not think about the people coordinating the details. Lois was one of the people behind those efforts.

She remains remembered as a spirited woman who lived through many chapters and left behind a family, a public record, and a role in the later life of one of America’s most famous astronauts.

Conclusion

Lois Driggs Cannon was much more than Buzz Aldrin’s third wife. She was Lois Adele Driggs, a woman from Arizona with a strong family background, a Stanford education, a teaching career, three children, and a lively personality. She became Lois Cannon through her first marriage and later Lois Aldrin through a long marriage to one of the most famous astronauts in history.

Her marriage to Buzz Aldrin brought her into public life, but her own energy and business sense helped shape that chapter. For more than two decades, she was part of the team that supported Aldrin’s appearances, brand, and space-advocacy work.

Her life had joy, complexity, public attention, family responsibility, business conflict, and resilience. That is why Lois Driggs Cannon remains a name people continue to search—not only because of Buzz Aldrin, but because her own story deserves to be remembered with detail and respect.

FAQs About Lois Driggs Cannon

Who was Lois Driggs Cannon?

Lois Driggs Cannon was an American educator, mother, and business partner best known as the third wife of astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

What was Lois Driggs Cannon’s full name?

Her full name was Lois Adele Driggs Cannon Aldrin.

When was Lois Driggs Cannon born?

She was born on November 2, 1929, in Miami, Arizona.

When did Lois Driggs Cannon die?

Lois Driggs Cannon died on July 17, 2018, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

How old was Lois Driggs Cannon when she died?

She was 88 years old at the time of her death.

Was Lois Driggs Cannon married to Buzz Aldrin?

Yes, she married Buzz Aldrin on February 14, 1988. Their divorce was finalized in December 2012.

Did Lois Driggs Cannon have children with Buzz Aldrin?

No, Lois and Buzz Aldrin did not have children together. Lois had three children from her first marriage to Bryant W. Cannon.

Who were Lois Driggs Cannon’s children?

Her children were Lisa Cannon, Brynn Cannon, and Bryant Cannon.

What did Lois Driggs Cannon do for Buzz Aldrin’s career?

She helped support and promote Buzz Aldrin’s public brand and business activities, including work connected to Starbuzz.

What is Lois Driggs Cannon remembered for?

She is remembered for her energetic personality, teaching background, family life, marriage to Buzz Aldrin, and role in supporting his later public career.

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