While history remembers Steve Jobs as the visionary behind Apple, the story of his biological mother, Joanne Schieble, is often reduced to a footnote.
However, her life was defined by complex choices, a professional career in speech pathology, and the raising of another cultural icon, novelist Mona Simpson.
To understand the trajectory of Steve Jobs’ life, one must understand the circumstances of Joanne Schieble’s early adulthood.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Detail |
| Full Name | Joanne Carole Schieble (later Simpson) |
| Date of Birth | August 1, 1932 |
| Birthplace | Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA |
| Date of Death | January 19, 2018 (Aged 85) |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Swiss-German |
| Profession | Speech-Language Pathologist |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Marital Status | Divorced (Abdulfattah Jandali, George Simpson) |
| Children | Steve Jobs, Mona Simpson |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed (Lived a private, middle-class life) |
| Zodiac | Leo |
| Height | Approx. 5’5″ (Estimated) |
Early Life
Born in 1932 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Joanne Carole Schieble was raised in a strict, conservative Catholic household.
Her parents, Arthur and Irene Schieble, were of Swiss-German descent and owned a mink farm. They held high expectations for their daughter, emphasizing education and adherence to traditional values.
The “Forbidden” Romance
In the mid-1950s, while attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a graduate student, Joanne met Abdulfattah “John” Jandali. Jandali was a Syrian Muslim teaching assistant pursuing his PhD.
The two fell in love, but the cultural and religious divide proved insurmountable for Joanne’s father.
Arthur Schieble threatened to cut Joanne off completely if she married Jandali. In the social climate of 1954 Wisconsin, defying her father was not a simple act of rebellion; it carried the threat of total familial alienation.
The Adoption Decision
When Joanne discovered she was pregnant in 1954, she was 23 years old and unmarried. Abortion was illegal and dangerous, and raising a child out of wedlock was socially stigmatized.
Caught between her father’s threats and societal pressure, she made the difficult choice to place her unborn child for adoption.
She traveled to San Francisco to stay with a doctor who cared for unwed mothers, birthing her son on February 24, 1955.
The College Degree Stipulation
Joanne had one non-negotiable requirement for the adoption: the parents had to be college graduates. She wanted to ensure her son had an academic future.
Initially, a lawyer and his wife were selected, but they pulled out at the last minute because they wanted a girl.
The baby was then placed with Paul and Clara Jobs. When Joanne found out that Paul was a high school dropout and Clara had not finished college, she refused to sign the final adoption papers.
The standoff lasted for weeks. Joanne only relented when Paul and Clara Jobs signed a legal pledge promising that they would establish a savings fund to send the boy, Steve, to college.
This single decision by Joanne, holding out for her son’s education, arguably shaped the future of the technology industry.
Shortly after the adoption was finalized, Joanne’s father passed away. With the primary obstacle to their union gone, Joanne and Abdulfattah Jandali married in December 1955.
Marriage and Mona Simpson
In 1957, the couple had a second child, a daughter named Mona. Unlike Steve, Mona was raised by her biological parents during her early years.
However, the marriage between Joanne and Jandali was volatile and short-lived.
Abdulfattah Jandali eventually left the family to pursue his career and life elsewhere. Joanne divorced him in 1962.
She later married George Simpson, an ice-skating teacher. Although that marriage also ended in divorce in 1970, both Joanne and her daughter retained the surname “Simpson.”
Life as a Career Woman
Often overshadowed by her son’s fame, Joanne Schieble was a dedicated professional in her own right. She built a long-standing career as a speech-language pathologist.
After her divorces, she moved to Los Angeles, raising Mona as a single mother. This period of her life was characterized by resilience and independence.
She worked tirelessly to support her daughter, fostering an environment that eventually led Mona Simpson to become one of America’s most celebrated novelists.
Mona’s book Anywhere But Here is widely considered a fictionalized account of her relationship with Joanne and their move to California, painting a portrait of a complicated, ambitious, and eccentric mother figure.
The Reunion with Steve Jobs
For decades, Steve Jobs knew he was adopted but had no contact with his biological family.
It wasn’t until after his adoptive mother, Clara Jobs, passed away in 1986 that he felt free to search for his birth mother without hurting Clara’s feelings.
When they finally met, the reunion was emotional. Reports state that Joanne was terrified Steve would hate her for giving him up. Instead, she apologized, reportedly saying, “I was 23 and I went through a lot to have you.”
Steve Jobs accepted the explanation. He reportedly thanked her, acknowledging that her decision ensured he didn’t end up aborted or in a worse situation.
Through Joanne, Steve was also introduced to his biological sister, Mona Simpson. The two siblings formed a profound bond that lasted the rest of Steve’s life.
Debunking the Rumor: Who is Aidan Thieriot?
In recent years, search trends have linked the name “Aidan Thieriot” to Joanne Schieble, leading to confusion about a potential third child or secret relative.
Fact Check: There is no public record or biological evidence linking Aidan Thieriot to Joanne Schieble.
Aidan Thieriot is the brother of American actor Max Thieriot (known for Bates Motel and SEAL Team).
The Thieriot family has roots in the publishing industry (founders of the San Francisco Chronicle), but they are not connected to the Schieble-Jobs-Simpson lineage.
This confusion likely stems from algorithmic errors in search engines conflating “famous adoption stories” or “celebrity siblings.”
Final Thought
Her legacy is one of quiet sacrifice. By insisting on an education for a son she could not keep, and by raising a daughter as a single mother in Los Angeles, she played an invisible but pivotal role in shaping modern culture.
She remains a testament to the complexity of maternal love and the difficult choices women of her generation were forced to make.
Maya Collins is a writer at WorthAura.com with over 3 years of experience researching celebrity lifestyles and net worth facts. She enjoys sharing clear and trustworthy information about how famous athletes and sports stars earn and grow their money. Maya makes sure every article is accurate and easy to understand for readers.
