Who Was Melinda Trenchard and What Led To Her Death?

Melinda Trenchard was the wife of Tom Jones, the legendary Welsh musician. She died in 2016 after losing the battle to cancer of the lungs.

Trenchard and her husband, Tom Jones, met during their formative years and fell in love at age 12. The duo was barely 16 when they decided to exchange wedding vows, and the ceremony was held in their hometown, Pontypridd. The childhood sweethearts went on to live for 59 years as husband and wife until Melinda died in 2016.

Summary of Melinda Trenchard’s Biography

  • Full Name: Melinda Trenchard
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of Birth: 1941
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Nationality: British
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Religion: Christianity
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Melinda Trenchard’s Husband (Wife): Tom Jones
  • Melinda Trenchard’s Children: Mark Woodward
  • Famous For: Being the wife of Tom Jones

Who Was Melinda Trenchard?

Melinda Trenchard was known as the wife of Tom Jones, the legendary Welsh musician.

She was born in 1941 in the United Kingdom, where she also grew up. British by nationality, Melinda comes from a White ethnic background. She spent her childhood in Treforest, Pontypridd, where she met Tom, the man who would become her husband. 

Melinda has always been the taciturn type; thus, despite being the wife of a musician of Tom Jones’ caliber, she managed to keep the details of her family background under wraps. Therefore, nothing is known about her parents and whether she has siblings or grew up as an only child.

Another grey area in Melinda’s life was her academic journey. The late British celebrity wife never revealed how far she went with her academics. However, many have opined that she stopped school early because of her early marriage and childbirth.

What did she do for a Living?

The only information about Melinda Trenchard’s career is that she once worked in a factory. After her husband achieved fame through his singing career, Miranda began to live the life of a recluse, totally shunning the spotlight. She was averse to being photographed with her music superstar husband in public.

Miranda lived her life shuttling between their sprawling mansion in Los Angeles and their home in London. Many speculated that she developed agoraphobia because she didn’t like being the topic of gossip, and others said it was her husband’s incessant illicit affairs that were making her reclusive.

Miranda once appeared in an interview session where she said she only feels alive when her spouse comes through the door, no matter the time of the day or night.

A few close friends of the late celebrity wife said she spent her time doing house chores, watching television, and sipping Champaign.

How Did Melinda Trenchard and Tom Jones Meet?

Melinda Trenchard
Melinda and Tom Jones image source

Melinda Trenchard and her husband, Tom Jones, first crossed paths in Pontypridd, Wales, as 12-year-old kids. Talking to Radio 2 in an interview session, the legendary Welsh musician said Melinda was playing marble when he saw her for the first time. According to Tom, his attention was first drawn to her legs, and he confessed that she had great legs.

Tom said when she eventually stood up from her game of marble, Melinda was even more beautiful in the face. They soon became playmates and then sweethearts. Jones narrated how they used to play kiss-chase, and according to the singer, they both felt a special connection when they kissed.

The duo lived in the same Pontypridd, Wales, while they were dating; Tom said they took to dancing together at the age of 15, and Melinda was the best-looking girl in their vicinity. He described their early relationship as “magic,” narrating how exhilarating it felt to always meet up at a phone booth in his street.

Melinda Trenchard Became Tom Jones’ Wife As A Teenager

Reportedly, Melinda Trenchard and Tom Jones were just 16 when they decided to take their relationship to the next level. They exchanged wedding vows on the 2nd of March 1957, and the ceremony was held in Pontypridd, Wales, with family and close friends in attendance.

Melinda was Tom Jones’s first and only wife, and their union lasted for 59 years until Melinda’s demise in 2016.

Tom and his Late Wife Melinda Experienced a Lot of Marriage Issues

Though the duo was deeply in love, Melinda Trenchard and Tom Jones’ marriage was tumultuous. The legendary musician turned out to be a ladies’ man, and when he went on tours, he would freely sleep with different women.

In fact, the Welsh singer once revealed his body count to be over 200. At a point, he got the then 24-year-old American model Katherine Berkery pregnant, and together, they share a son called Jonathan Berkery, who was born in 1987.

Though Jones paid for child support, he never bothered to meet his son, neither did he make any attempt to talk to him. Speaking to Mail Online, Jonathan, who now goes by the name Jon Jones, said his father’s treatment turned him into a gun-currying drug dealer, and he slept rough at a point in his life.

Talking about Tom’s numerous affairs, his former bandmate, Vernon Hopkins, said it greatly upset Melinda Trenchard, and she took to drinking, smoking, and even intensifying her reclusive lifestyle. According to Vernon, she later lost her beauty as she kept punishing and blaming herself for her husband’s waywardness.

Melinda Trenchard’s Children

Melinda Trenchard
Tom Jones and his son, Mark Woodward image source

Melinda Trenchard shared only one child with her husband, Tom Jones. Their only child, Mark Woodward, was born the same year they wedded in 1957. According to Melinda, she wanted to have another child, but her second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

Reportedly, the miscarriage did extensive harm to her system, and she was told not to try conceiving another baby. Her only son is now a full-grown man and is also earning his keep in the music industry as his father’s manager.

Apart from their son, Mark, Tom Jones has a second son, Jonathan from his extra-marital relationship.

How Did Melinda Trenchard Die?

Trenchard died after a short but severe battle with lung cancer. Her death occurred on the 10th of April 2016, and she was 75 at the time of her passing.

She was first diagnosed with lung issues in the 1960s, and several years later, her physicians discovered she had cancer of the lungs all along.

During her last days, Melinda was admitted to Cedars Sinai Hospital, where she later died. 

Her demise left Tom Jones heartbroken as the legendary musician canceled his scheduled concerts in the United States and sold off his property in Los Angeles to return to his home country, England.

Chidiebube
Chidiebube
Chidiebube has been writing and editing articles on movies, entertainment and other juicy things for several years. When he is not writing, he spends time outdoors, lost in the beauty of nature or simply travelling around the world. Thank goodness he can do the later with any internet-enabled device

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