More Sports ES Fancast Jun 19, 2024 | 8:18 AM EDT Even though on-field Willie Mays was one of the most iconic and entertaining players, off-field, too, he was one of the most dedicated humans. The tragic passing of the San Francisco Giants’ Greatest player (and perhaps Baseball’s all-time great as well) has brought together the whole sporting world.Best porn XXX. It isn’t every day that one sees the sheer outpour of love that Mays is receiving right now. However, amidst this, there’s one story that needs to be told – the story of Willie Mays and his late wife Mae Louise Allen Mays.  Though Mays was married before, one could say Mae Louise was the love of his life. According to his book “Say Hey – The Autobiography of Willie Mays” he had started talking to Louise in 1961. However, the interesting part is that he’d known her since 1951. So how did the two meet? And how did Mae Louise impact Mays’ life? ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Willie Mays shared that he was in Small’s Paradise in Harlem in 1961. It was the day when he had hit four homers in one game against the Braves in Milwaukee. At that time, Small’s Paradise was owned by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. And it was there that Chamberlain gave Mays Mae Louise’s phone number.  “You don’t know me, but I’m Willie Mays,” he said. “And I’m Martha Washington,” she replied. And just like that a connection had been built. When they met, Mae Louise was a graduate student at Howard University (she had a master’s in social work). Eventually, the two began dating each other. In Willie Mays’ words he “enjoyed being with her.” The two dated for a year but in 1962 had a hiccup when talks of marriage were being made. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Willie Mays had just gotten divorced and wasn’t ready to commit, so, he walked away. However, it became an on-again-off-again relationship for several years until Willie Mays decided to pop the question. The two married in November 1971 and stayed together till Mae Louise’s final breath. According to The Sun, Mae Louise Allen has been described as a “pioneer in getting single adoptions started in San Francisco.” She exclusively worked for children’s welfare and was one of the leading voices in support of adoptions. Other than that, Mae Louise and Willie Mays were a loving couple who spent their days with each other.  ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad “I was honored to know Mae and to witness how Willie loved and cared for her,” Giants’ president Larry Baer said in 2013 – the year of her passing. Willie Mays spent 16 years taking care of his wife after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1997. Despite these struggles, their love never stopped and Willie remained by her side when she passed away on April 19, 2013.  Author Hirsch, the writer of Willie Mays’ biography shared that Mae Louise Allen’s “grace and beauty touched the soul of a legend.” (Per The Almanac) Hirsch had dedicated the book to Mae. In the end, despite their initial on-and-off again romance, the couple’s journey proved to be a long one. EssentiallySports is a digital-first sports media house that surfaces the best stories on America’s favorite sports celebrities with a fan’s perspective to 30+ M average monthly readers. Sports All Boxing Formula One Golf NASCAR NBA NFL ONE Championship Tennis UFC WWE Bodybuilding WNBA EssentiallySports About Us Advertise With Us Authors Editorial Team Behind The Scenes Humans of EssentiallySports Contact Us FAQs Our Brands FanCast On The Ropes Bodybuilding Bros Club Golf Lucky Dog on Track Sports All Boxing Formula One Golf NASCAR NBA NFL ONE Championship Tennis UFC WWE Bodybuilding WNBA Privacy Policy ES Pressroom Ethics Policy Fact-Checking Policy Corrections Policy Cookies Policy GDPR Compliance Terms of Use Editorial Guidelines Ownership and funding Information Full Spectrum Services LLP © 2024 | All Rights Reserved