Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal had great success as an actress, but what she really wanted to do was become a wife and mother. She finally got her chance when she married Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While their relationship was turbulent, he was her husband for many years—and the father of her five children.

Motherhood suited Patricia and for a time, she lived the “perfect” life. In 1955, her daughter, Olivia, was born. Her second daughter, Tessa, soon followed in 1957. Three years later, her joy was complete when her son, Theo Matthew, was born.

However, tragedy struck the Dahl family. First, in 1960, her babysitter was crossing the street with Theo in his stroller and a taxicab struck him, leaving him brain-damaged. Devastated, Patricia devoted herself to Theo’s care.

Two years later, Olivia came home from school one day, sick with measles. What started out as a minor problem soon became a dire one as Olivia grew sicker and sicker. She died on Nov. 17, 1962.

Meanwhile, Patricia was starring in movies to help support her family. In 1964, she gave birth to another daughter, Ophelia. Then, soon after, she was delighted to learn that she was pregnant once more.

But tragedy struck again when Patricia had three strokes and fell into a coma for three months. When she awoke, she couldn’t see, talk, or care for herself. Roald began to care for her and control her every move. She gave birth to her youngest child, Lucy, a few months later.

Her stormy marriage ended in 1983. She left Roald Dahl in Europe and moved back to America, hoping for a new life. Patricia continued to act in movies and on television until her death at age 84 in 2010.

After Neal died, her granddaughter, Clover, said: “She adored her career as an actress, and was proud of every award she won. But I think her greatest joy was her children and her grandchildren.”