Neilia Hunter Biden (née Hunter; July 28, 1942 – December 18, 1972) was an American teacher. Biden was also the first wife of Joe Biden, who later became the 46th president of the United States. She died in a car crash with their one-year-old daughter, Naomi; their two sons, Beau and Hunter, were injured but survived the incident. Her death occurred six weeks after her husband's election to the U.S. Senate.
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Early life and career
Neilia Hunter was born on July 28, 1942, in Skaneateles, New York, to Louise (née Basel) and Robert Hunter, who were Presbyterians. Neilia had two brothers, John and Michael. She attended Penn Hall, a secondary boarding school in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. She was active in the school's French club, field hockey, swimming and student council. After secondary school, she attended Syracuse University and was a school teacher in the Syracuse City School District. She was an English teacher at the Bellevue School in Syracuse, New York. She was a first cousin of former Auburn city councilman Robert Hunter.
Personal life
Neilia Hunter met Joe Biden in Nassau, Bahamas. Shortly afterwards, Biden moved to Syracuse to be closer to her and attend law school. The couple married on August 27, 1966. After Biden graduated from law school, the couple moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where he was on the New Castle County Council. They had three children: Joseph Robinette "Beau" III, Robert Hunter and Naomi Christina ("Amy"). While Biden was campaigning to unseat U.S. Delaware senator J. Caleb Boggs, Neilia was described by The News Journal as the "brains" of his campaign.