Who was Derek Bryceson? All about Jane Goodall’s husband as she dies at 91

British conservationist, primatologist, animal researcher, and activist Dame Jane Goodall passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA, on October 1, 2025. She died of natural causes at the age of 91. Her death, which happened during a speaking tour, was announced by her fundraising nonprofit, the Jane Goodall Institute, on Wednesday.

Jane Goodall was married twice: first to Dutch nobleman, filmmaker, and wildlife photographer Baron Hugo van Lawick, and later to Derek Bryceson, who was the director of the Tanzanian national parks. Bryceson was also a member of the Tanzanian parliament.

Unfortunately, Derek died of cancer five years into their marriage. Jane never married again.

Dr. Goodall is survived by her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, whom she shared with her first husband.

More about Jane Goodall’s second husband, Derek Bryceson

Derek Noel Maclean Bryceson was born in Kenya into a farming family and was part of the East African community, the Ol Mologans. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, and served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot.

During his military career, Bryceson was wounded in his spine in an operational flight and became partially paralyzed from the waist down. According to ntz.info, he was told he would never walk again. However, he managed to take himself out of the wheelchair and use crutches/ walker to be mobile.

Derek Bryceson later moved to Tanganyika, part of present-day Tanzania, in 1952, where he became a politician. He served in the roles of Minister of the Independent Government of Tanzania, Minister for Health and Labour, Assistant Minister for Social Services, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister for Mines and Commerce.

Jane Goodall’s husband was later appointed as the Director of National Parks in Tanzania. They got married in 1975. In October 1980, Bryceson died of cancer. During a July 2020 interview with PEOPLE, Goodall credited him for helping her establish the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

“If I hadn't married him [Derek], there wouldn't be a Gombe today. If Hugo hadn't come along, the chimp story [probably] would have ended,” she noted.

However, Jane Goodall recalled that both her husbands were “extremely jealous” even of her female friends. The ethologist also mentioned she didn’t want to get married even once, but it just happened.

“They were really jealous and possessive... How could I do it twice? I don't know…” Goodall added.

The conservationist explained that she didn’t remarry after Bryceson’s demise because she didn’t meet the “right person.” She acknowledged having many friends, both male and female, and considered her life to be “complete” without needing a husband.

Derek Bryceson dedicated his later life to protecting Jane Goodall’s research project on chimpanzees and also boosting the tourism of Tanzania.

Notably, Jane Goodall and her first husband, Baron Hugo van Lawick, first met in 1962 when he came to photograph her at the present-day Gombe Stream National Park for National Geographic. At the time, she was studying chimpanzees in Africa.

They were married two years later at a church in London and were together for a decade until their divorce in 1974. The couple had one son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, born in 1967. After their split, Jane Goodall and Hugo van Lawick continued to remain friends and co-parents.

Trending

According to the BBC, Dr. Goodall was active until her final day and was travelling the globe as part of a speaking tour and campaign dedicated to her life, career, and understanding of the natural world. Tributes are pouring in from across the world in the wake of her death.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback