Who is Jack Hanna married to? All about his wife and kids amid battle with advanced Alzheimer's

Beloved American zookeeper Jack Hanna's Alzheimer's has proceeded from moderate to advanced. In an interview with the news outlet The Columbus Patch, the 76-year-old personality's wife, Suzi, alongside daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie revealed that Hanna now only remembers his wife, his dog, and sometimes his oldest daughter. Suzi said:

"The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are. And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can."

Jack Hanna was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in October 2019. Adding to Suzi's point, her daughter Suzanne added:

“He just stopped remembering who I was in all ways. Whether it was in person or by phone, he had no idea I was his daughter. I think it’s because he didn’t see me as much because I got married so young and I moved away.”

Jack Hanna with his family. (Photo via @owleealeckza/Twitter)

Talking about his routine, Hanna's wife said Jack usually takes several medications and has a late morning. He then takes a two-mile walk with Suzi, which she values a lot since it gives her an assurance of normalcy with Jack.

“I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I’ve just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then. My husband is still in there somewhere. There are still those sweet, tender moments — you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him."

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Jack Hanna and his wife have three daughter together

According to the official website of Muskingum University, Jack Hanna first crossed paths with Suzi Egli while they were studying at the college. At the time, the now 76-year-old was working towards having a career with animals while Suzi was studying for a degree in education.

They got married in their senior year in 1968 and have been together since. The blog post from the university's website also points out that when Suzi was expecting her first child with Jack, he brought home a baby goat to practice with.

In 1978, Jack Hanna was named the director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and continued to serve the position up until his retirement in 2020. The duo shares three daughters together - Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie.

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Kathaleen Hanna

Kathaleen is Jack Hanna and Suzi's eldest child and daughter. Not much is known about her, but the zookeeper's admirers may remember her from the time when she appeared on Animal Adventures with him. According to her IMDb page, she has also starred in Into the Wild and Wild Countdown alongside her father. As per Jack's official website, Kathaleen resides in England and is married to an Englishman. The duo shares two kids - Jack and Gabriella, with the former being named after the famed zookeeper.

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Suzanne Hanna

Jack and Suzi's second child, Suzanne, currently lives in Ohio with her husband Billy, and their four children - Brittany, Blake, Alison, and Caroline. Just like her elder sister, Suzanne also visited her father at the zoo, and they would spend time and watch sporting events together. As per Distractify, Suzi would occasionally take their daughters to zoo to see their dad in action around animals.

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Julie Hanna

The youngest child in the Hanna clan, Julie works as an animal educator in the animal programs department at the Columbus Zoo.

While speaking to The Columbus Dispatch, Jack once revealed that Julie was a cancer patient in 1977 at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Reportedly, she was diagnosed with leukemia and continues to struggle with its challenges.

Julie's cancer returned when she was a college student, but she, fortunately, survived it again.