Meet Wendy Rush, who works as Communications Director at OceanGate, Inc.
Wendy was born with the name Wendy Hollings Weil.
She attended the Hotchkiss School and later graduated from Princeton University.
Before joining OceanGate in 2021, Wendy worked as a substitute teacher and account manager at Ladd Associates.
She married Stockton Rush in July 1986.
Stockton was OceanGate’s CEO and co-founder.
Their partnership lasted nearly four decades until his tragic death in 2023.
The couple raised two children together, Ben and Quincy.
Here’s where Wendy’s story becomes remarkable.
She is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, who died on the Titanic in 1912.
Think about this incredible connection.
Wendy’s family was affected by the Titanic tragedy over a century ago.
Now she works for a company that visits that same wreck.
Her personal history and professional life are linked in the most unexpected way.
Stockton Rush’s Wife’s Early Life
Wendy Rush was born Wendy Hollings Weil to an American family.
Her father, Dr. Richard Weil III, was a surgery professor at the University of Colorado Medical School.
He also directed their transplantation program.
Her mother, Polly Weil, worked as a partner at Reynolds & Weil, a Denver interior design firm.
Wendy finished her education at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut in 1980.
She then went to Princeton University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1984.
After college, she had different jobs that gave her varied experience.
Wendy worked as a substitute teacher in California’s Lancaster school system.
She also served as an account manager with Ladd Associates in San Francisco.
These roles prepared her for her later position at OceanGate.
Stockton Rush’s Wife’s Profile Summary
Wendy Rush serves as Communications Director at OceanGate, where she has been involved with the company’s Titanic expeditions since 2021.
She is also the widow of Stockton Rush, who was OceanGate’s CEO and co-founder.
| ATTRIBUTE | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Wendy Rush (née Hollings Weil) |
| Birth Date | December (exact date unknown) |
| Age | Estimated to be in her early 60s |
| Birthplace | United States of America |
| Height | 5 feet 4 inches |
| Weight | 57 kg |
| Education | Princeton University, The Hotchkiss School |
| Spouse | Stockton Rush (married 1986-2023) |
| Children | Two (Ben Rush and Quincy Rush) |
| Occupation | Communications Director at OceanGate |
| Net Worth | Estimated $2.25 million |
| Notable Ancestry | Great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, who died on the Titanic in 1912 |
Wendy also led the OceanGate Foundation as President from 2017 to 2021.
She still serves on the foundation’s executive board today.
Stockton Rush’s Wife’s Academic Qualifications
Wendy Rush built a solid educational background starting at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut.
She graduated from this preparatory school in 1980.
She then went to Princeton University and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1984.
Her future husband, Stockton Rush, also attended Princeton University.
However, it’s not clear if they met during their college years.
Her education prepared her well for her later work in communications and leadership roles.
Wendy also earned her pilot’s license, showing her interest in aviation.
This was before she became involved with OceanGate’s underwater operations.
Stockton Rush’s Wife’s Career and Achievements
Wendy Rush built a career across different fields.
She started as a substitute teacher in California’s Lancaster school system.
Later, she worked as an account manager with Ladd Associates in San Francisco.
Her path led her to OceanGate in 2021 as Director of Communications.
She had already been involved with the company earlier, serving as President of the OceanGate Foundation from 2017 to October 2021.
She continues as a board member today.
At OceanGate, Wendy took on hands-on roles beyond communications.
She participated directly in Titanic expeditions starting in 2021.
She worked on the communications and tracking team during these missions.
Her job involved supporting the company’s deep-sea operations and handling media relations.
Relationship Timeline and Milestones
Wendy Hollings Weil and Stockton Rush married in July 1986 at Vail Chapel in Colorado.
This started a partnership that lasted nearly four decades.
At their wedding, Wendy was working as a licensed pilot and substitute teacher.
Stockton was an aerospace engineer at McDonnell Douglas Corporation in California.
The couple had two children together.
Their son, Ben Rush, is now approximately 34 years old.
Their daughter Quincy Rush turned 32 in November 2022.
The family stayed close throughout the years.
Their marriage lasted over 37 years until tragedy struck.
Stockton died in June 2023 during the Titan submersible accident.
This ended their long partnership and left Wendy widowed after decades together.
The Couple’s Public Appearances
Wendy and Stockton Rush kept a low public profile despite their deep-sea exploration work.
They appeared together at maritime technology events and OceanGate functions.
At these events, they represented the company’s mission to advance underwater research.
Wendy often helped promote OceanGate’s expeditions, including the Titanic missions that started in 2021.
In professional settings, they worked as a team focused on ocean research and new technology.
They weren’t celebrities, but their submersible work brought them attention.
This was especially true among scientists and exploration communities interested in deep-sea discoveries.
Their specialized field made them known within these circles.
What Does Stockton Rush’s Wife Do?
What does Wendy Rush do at OceanGate?
She leads all communications as the company’s Communications Director.
She started this role in 2021 and handles everything from media relations to public messaging for the deep-sea exploration company.
But Wendy doesn’t just work behind a desk.
She gets involved in the actual expeditions, too.
During submersible missions, including the famous Titanic expeditions, she works on the communications and tracking team.
This means she helps monitor the missions as they happen.
Her involvement with OceanGate actually goes back further than 2021.
From 2017 to 2021, she ran the OceanGate Foundation as its President.
What did the foundation focus on?
It worked to advance marine technology, support ocean research, and preserve underwater history.
Even though she’s no longer President, Wendy still sits on the foundation’s executive board.
The foundation continues its mission to support new marine technologies and push forward marine science, history, and archaeology.
Through this work, she helps promote underwater exploration progress beyond just her daily communications duties.
The Couple’s Personal Life
How did Wendy and Stockton Rush connect beyond marriage?
They shared a deep love for exploration and technology that lasted throughout their relationship.
While building their professional work together, they also focused on raising their two children, Ben and Quincy.
Here’s something remarkable about Wendy’s background.
She has a direct connection to the very disaster her husband’s company studies.
Wendy is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus.
Who were they?
They were wealthy passengers on the Titanic who chose to stay together and die rather than separate.
Think about how this personal history is connected to her life.
Her family tragedy from over a century ago is linked directly to her husband’s work with OceanGate’s Titanic missions.
What are the chances of such a connection?
The couple lived in the Seattle area, close to where OceanGate operates.
What did they have in common besides their marriage?
Both Wendy and Stockton were pilots, showing their shared interest in aviation.
They also both loved deep-sea exploration.
Their partnership was built around a mutual fascination with pioneering transportation technologies, whether in the air or under the sea.
Conclusion
Wendy Rush’s story brings together personal history, career success, and an incredible family connection spanning over a century.
She built her career across different fields, from substitute teaching to business management, before becoming a communications expert.
Her work at OceanGate created a remarkable full-circle moment.
Her professional life connected directly to her family’s past through the Titanic expeditions.
What made her marriage to Stockton special?
Their 37-year partnership was built on shared passions for exploration and new technologies.
Both were pilots before turning to underwater work.
Though they stayed out of the spotlight, their deep-sea work gained recognition in scientific communities.
After Stockton’s tragic death in the Titan accident, Wendy continues her oceanic work through the OceanGate Foundation, preserving their shared mission.
