Who Is Joanne Schieble? The True Story of Steve Jobs’ Birth Mother, Her Family and Her Daughter Mona Simpson

Most people know Steve Jobs as the man who built Apple. Far fewer people know the woman who gave birth to him. Her name was Joanne Schieble, and her story is a quiet but important part of the Steve Jobs story.

She was a young student when she became pregnant in 1954. She placed her baby for adoption, started a new life, and later raised a daughter who became a well known writer. Years later, her first son found her, and the two of them built a warm friendship.

Quick Bio of Joanne Schieble

Detail	Information
Full name	Joanne Carole Schieble (later known as Joanne Simpson)
Known for	Being the birth mother of Steve Jobs
Birthplace	Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Birth year	Many profiles say 1932, but major biographies do not confirm an exact date
Heritage	Swiss German American
Religion in childhood	Catholic
University	University of Wisconsin (many profiles say she studied speech pathology)
First son	Steve Jobs, born February 24, 1955, in San Francisco
Daughter	Mona Simpson, born June 14, 1957, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
First husband	Abdulfattah “John” Jandali (married after Steve’s birth, divorced in 1962)
Second husband	George Simpson, an ice skating teacher
Later home	Los Angeles, California
Met Steve Jobs again	In the mid 1980s, when he was an adult
Death	Not clearly confirmed in major sources

Early Life in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Joanne Carole Schieble grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Her family was Catholic and had Swiss and German roots. According to the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, her parents owned a mink farm and also owned real estate in the area.

Her family was strict and traditional. That matters, because it explains a lot about the choices she made when she was young. In the 1950s, many families in the United States cared a lot about marriage, religion and “what the neighbors will think.” A young woman who became pregnant before marriage often faced heavy pressure.

Joanne was clearly a good student. She went to the University of Wisconsin, which was not very common for young women at that time. Many online profiles say she studied speech pathology, which means helping people who have problems with speech and language. Isaacson describes her as an unmarried graduate student from Wisconsin when she became pregnant.

A quick note about her birth date. Many websites say she was born in 1932, and some even give an exact day. I could not find that detail in the main biographies, so it is safest to say “around 1932.”

Meeting Abdulfattah Jandali

At the university, Joanne met a man named Abdulfattah “John” Jandali. He was a graduate student from Syria. He had studied at the American University of Beirut and was working on a PhD in political science.

The two fell in love. But there was a big problem. Joanne’s father did not approve of the relationship, mainly because Jandali was Muslim and Joanne’s family was Catholic. Her father was a strong voice in the family, and his opinion carried a lot of weight.

Then Joanne became pregnant in 1954. She was around 23 years old, and she was not married. Under so much pressure, she decided that the best choice was adoption.

Why She Placed Her Baby for Adoption

Joanne did not want to have the baby in her hometown, where everyone would know. She travelled to San Francisco, found a doctor there, and arranged a closed adoption. In a closed adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive family do not share names or contact details.

Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco.

Joanne had one clear wish for her baby. She wanted him to be adopted by people who had graduated from college. A lawyer and his wife were chosen first. However, they changed their minds when they learned the baby was a boy.

The baby then went to Paul and Clara Jobs. Paul worked with machines and cars, and Clara worked as a bookkeeper. They were kind and hard working people, but neither of them had a college degree.

When Joanne found out, she refused to sign the final adoption papers at first. She even went to court and asked for her son to be placed with a different family. In the end, she changed her mind. Paul and Clara promised that they would pay for the boy’s college education. That promise mattered later, because Steve did go to Reed College, even though he left after one semester.

This part of the story shows something important. Joanne did not give up her baby lightly. She cared about his future and tried to protect it.

Life After the Adoption

Joanne’s life changed quickly after Steve was born. About six months after the adoption, her father died. With him gone, the strongest opposition to her relationship ended. Joanne then married John Jandali.

The couple had a daughter, Mona Jandali, who was born on June 14, 1957, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mona would later become Mona Simpson, the novelist.

The marriage did not last. Joanne and Jandali divorced in 1962. According to Isaacson’s biography, Jandali went back to work in Syria, and the family broke apart. Later, Jandali said that he lost contact with his daughter for many years.

Joanne then married George Simpson, who taught ice skating. Mona took her stepfather’s last name. That marriage also ended. After the divorce, Joanne moved to Los Angeles with Mona around 1970 or 1971 (the sources give slightly different years) and raised her daughter on her own.

Mona grew up as an only child with a single mother. She did not know that she had an older brother somewhere in the world.

How Steve Jobs Found His Birth Mother

For many years, Steve Jobs did not look for his birth family. He felt very loyal to Paul and Clara, and he said he never wanted them to think he did not see them as his real parents. He often said they were his parents “one thousand percent.”

Things changed in the mid 1980s. Clara was diagnosed with lung cancer, and Steve spent a lot of time with her. He learned more about the adoption, and his curiosity grew.

Steve found the name of the San Francisco doctor who had helped with his birth. The doctor did not help him while he was alive. But after the doctor died, Steve received a letter he had left behind. It said that his birth mother was an unmarried graduate student from Wisconsin named Joanne Schieble.

After Clara died, and after he asked Paul for permission, Steve contacted Joanne. He also asked reporters not to write about his search out of respect for Paul. Steve later explained that he wanted to find out if she was okay and to thank her. He said he was glad he had not ended up as an abortion, and he knew she had gone through a lot to have him.

The First Meeting

The first meeting was emotional. Joanne did not know much about Apple at that time, and she did not realize how famous her son was. What she cared about was seeing the baby she had given up.

According to Isaacson, she told Steve that she had been pressured into signing the adoption papers. She said she regretted giving him up, and she apologized several times. Steve accepted her feelings kindly. Over time, they became friendly, and they even spent Christmas together.

During that first visit, Joanne also told Steve something that surprised him. He had a younger sister named Mona.

Meeting His Sister, Mona Simpson

Mona did not know she had a brother. Joanne arranged for them to meet in New York, where Mona was working as a young writer. Mona was about 25 years old.

Her first impression was simple and warm. She thought he was honest, kind and normal, just a sweet guy. They went for a long walk and talked.

Steve later said that Mona was not fully happy at first to share her mother with a new brother. But with time they became close friends and real family. He said he could not imagine a better sister.

Mona also helped Steve in other ways. His relationship with his daughter Lisa Brennan was difficult in the early years, and people close to the family say Mona helped them grow closer.

Mona Simpson and Her Writing

Mona Simpson studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned a master’s degree in fine arts at Columbia University. She became a respected novelist and a university professor.

Her books often use ideas from her own life. Her first novel, Anywhere but Here (1986), is about a mother and daughter, and it reflects her childhood in a home without a father. Her novel The Lost Father (1992) was based on her search for her Syrian father.

Mona also found their father, Abdulfattah Jandali, who was working in a restaurant in Sacramento, California. She visited him alone. Steve chose not to meet him. He did not trust that Jandali would treat him well, and he asked Mona not to tell Jandali that his son was Steve Jobs.

When Steve died on October 5, 2011, Mona was with him, along with his wife, children and his sister Patty. A few weeks later, Mona wrote a eulogy that was printed in The New York Times. In it, she shared how she grew up with a single mother, how she imagined her father, and how she finally met the man she had been hoping for when she met her brother.

Joanne’s Role in the Steve Jobs Story

It is easy to talk about Joanne Schieble only as “Steve Jobs’ mother.” But that label can also be confusing.

Paul and Clara Jobs raised Steve. They were his parents, and Steve always said so. Joanne gave birth to him and tried to give him a good start, but she did not raise him.

Still, her role was real and important:

• She chose adoption because she wanted her baby to have a stable life and a good education.
• She pushed for the promise that Paul and Clara would pay for his college.
• She welcomed Steve warmly when he found her.
• She introduced him to Mona, who became one of the closest people in his life.

Her story also reminds us that adoption stories are complicated. Joanne felt sadness and regret. Steve felt loyalty to his adoptive parents and curiosity about his roots. Both of these things were true at the same time.

What We Do Not Know About Joanne Schieble

Joanne lived a private life, and she did not give many interviews. That is why you should be careful when you read about her online.

Many websites repeat the same details without any proof. Some give an exact birth date, a job history, a net worth or a date of death, but they do not say where they got the information. Some even disagree with each other.

For example, I could not confirm her exact birth date or the exact date of her death in major, trusted sources. The best sources for her life are Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, which was based on many interviews, and Mona Simpson’s own writing and interviews. When you read other profiles, ask yourself whether they name a real source.

It is also fair to respect her privacy. She never asked to be famous.

Final Thoughts

Joanne Schieble was a young woman who had to make a hard choice in a strict time. She loved her baby enough to think about his future, even when it hurt. Years later, she met him again, said sorry, and built a friendship that lasted the rest of his life.

Her daughter Mona Simpson turned family life into powerful stories, and she also became a loving sister to Steve Jobs.

So next time you hear the name Steve Jobs, remember that his story did not start in a garage in California. It started with a young woman in Wisconsin who tried to do the best she could for her child.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Joanne Schieble?

Joanne Schieble, also known as Joanne Simpson, was the birth mother of Steve Jobs. She was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, studied at the University of Wisconsin, and later raised her daughter, the writer Mona Simpson.

Did Joanne Schieble raise Steve Jobs?

No. She placed him for adoption after he was born in 1955. He was raised by Paul and Clara Jobs, whom he always called his real parents.

Why did Joanne Schieble give Steve Jobs up for adoption?

She was young and unmarried, and her father did not approve of her relationship with Abdulfattah Jandali. Because of this pressure, she chose a closed adoption.

Did Steve Jobs ever meet his birth mother?

Yes. He found her in the mid 1980s, after his adoptive mother Clara died. They became friendly, and they spent time together, including holidays.

How are Joanne Schieble and Mona Simpson related?

Mona Simpson is Joanne’s daughter and Steve Jobs’s younger sister. She is a novelist and professor, and she wrote the eulogy for Steve Jobs after his death.

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