The late scientist Timothy Hawking was survived by three children when he passed in 2018. In his marriage with his ex-wife, Jane Wilde, he welcomed Robert, Lucy, and Timothy Hawking. Timothy's relationship with his father was significantly different compared to his older siblings.
Stephen Hawking suffered from a nervous system disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). However, he only received a diagnosis at age 21, in 1963. Timothy was born over a decade later, and his father's condition had worsened.
As young as Timothy was, he recalled struggling to understand what his father would say to him. Eventually, the scientist lost his voice, which affected their relationship more. Although several reports suggested that Timothy's childhood was unhappy, he has shared some of his mischievous adventures with his dad.
Jane Wilde and her son Timothy Hawking are photographed as they attend Professor Stephen Hawking's funeral at University Church of St Mary the Great on March 31, 2018, in Cambridge | Source: Getty Images
Tim Hawking
Timothy "Tim" Hawking took his first breath in April 1979, sixteen years following his father's diagnosis. Within those years, Stephen Hawking had already developed speech problems due to his condition. As Timothy grew up, he struggled with understanding his father. According to Mirror, he reflected:
"My dad was able to speak with his own, natural voice for those first years, but it was incredibly difficult to understand what he was saying – particularly for me at such a young age."
The scientist eventually lost his ability to speak when Timothy was 5. Ironically, Timothy felt that that's when he and his father formed a close relationship. Regardless, the pair still found ways to nourish it.
Timothy and Lucy Hawking are photographed as they arrive at Westminster Abbey for their father's, Professor Stephen Hawking, memorial service on June 15, 2018, in London | Source: Getty Images
They bonded over watching moto car races and the pranks Timothy would play on the late scientist. Timothy would use his father's wheelchair as a go-kart and mischievously program profane words into his well-known speech machine.
Although Timothy is mainly known for being Stephen's son, some reports have suggested otherwise. Stephen and his first wife, Jane Wilde, divorced in 1995 after 25 years of marriage. Jane married Jonathan Hellyer Jones afterward, and he was rumored to be Timothy's birth father.
However, Jane denied the rumors, insisting that her lastborn was undoubtedly Stephen's son. Timothy attended Exeter University in England, graduating with a BA in Spanish and French. In 2005, he attained his Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Birmingham.
Timothy and Lucy Hawking are photographed during an interview at the global launch of Stephen Hawking's final book, "Brief Answers to the Brief Questions," at the Science Museum on October 15, 2018, in London | Source: Getty Images
According to his LinkedIn profile, Timothy worked as an Account Manager for a few firms before taking a job as a Loyalty Executive with LEGO. He worked his way up until he was the company's Brand Development Manager in 2015, leaving in 2019.
From then onwards, he started working as a Brand Development Specialist for Hawking Estate. Timothy indicated that it is still a work in progress, but he intends to honor his father's legacy through the venture.
Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking pose at the EE British Academy Film Awards at The Royal Opera House on February 8, 2015 in London | Source: Getty Images
Robert Hawking
Robert Hawking is Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde's firstborn, who drew his first breath in May 1967. Growing up, Robert would help his mother when she cared for his dad. According to The Sun, he initially showed some interest in science but later branched in a different direction.
The outlet also reported that Robert worked as a software engineer for Microsoft. Leading a quiet life with his family in Seattle, Washington, Robert is married with two children. In 2014, he reportedly participated in the ALS bucket challenge with his siblings. However, the video is no longer available.
Katrina and Robert Hawking pose at the 2020 Breakthrough Prize Red Carpet at NASA Ames Research Center on November 3, 2019, in Mountain View | Source: Getty Images
Lucy Hawking
Lucy Hawking is Stephen Hawking's secondborn and only daughter, born in November 1970. Lucy studied French and Russian at Oxford University. Shen then studied journalism at City University but had a change of heart and decided to pursue a writing career instead.
She published two novels before collaborating with her father on the novel "George’s Secret Key to the Universe." Translated into 38 languages and available in 43 countries, the story mixes adventure and science, aiming to be educational yet entertaining.
Since then, Lucy has geared her work toward educating children through science adventure stories. According to The Sun, she married Alex Mackenzie Smith in 1998. Together, they welcomed William, now 24, but sadly divorced in 2004. Lucy is also National Star College's vice president and trustee of the Autism Research Trust.
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