Joe and Jill Biden first met on a blind date in March 1975, arranged by Joe’s brother. Recalling the encounter, Jill shared with Vogue that she was a senior at the time and accustomed to dating casually dressed men in jeans and T-shirts. However, Joe arrived in a sport coat and loafers, which initially made her doubt their compatibility due to their nine-year age difference. Despite her reservations, Jill quickly warmed to him, later calling her mother at 1:00 a.m. to express her excitement about meeting a gentleman.
Before this meeting, both Joe and Jill had been married to other people. Joe’s first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and their daughter Naomi tragically died in a car accident in 1972. He also had two sons, Beau, who passed away from brain cancer in 2015, and Hunter. Jill had been married to businessman William “Bill” Stevenson from 1970 until 1975.
As their relationship blossomed, Jill embraced Joe’s sons as if they were her own. In her memoir Where the Light Enters, she described how she would visit to prepare dinner and keep the boys company when Joe worked late. She also helped with school pick-ups and spent evenings with them, establishing a bond independent of their father.
