Noel J. Mickelson was an artist and equestrian who married John Amos before his rise to television fame. Also known as Noni, she met him at Colorado State University, and they married in 1965. The couple had two children, Shannon and Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos, before divorcing in 1975.
Her life included creative interests, a passion for horses, and raising a family in California. Much of her personal story survives through her children’s recollections, which describe her riding achievements, emotional support, and later health challenges. After her death in 2016, Shannon honored her mother’s wish to travel by taking her ashes on journeys around the world.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Noel J. Mickelson |
| Also Known As | Noel “Noni” Mickelson |
| Profession | Artist and equestrian |
| Known For | Being John Amos’ first wife and the mother of his two children |
| Education | Attended Colorado State University |
| Former Husband | John Amos |
| Marriage to John Amos | 1965 to 1975 |
| Children | Shannon Amos and Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos |
| Family Home | Sylmar, Los Angeles, California |
| Equestrian Interest | Endurance riding |
| Later Marriage | Remarried a Disney special-effects engineer |
| Death | December 2016 |
Iowa Roots and Her Family Background
Noel J. Mickelson’s daughter, Shannon Amos, identified her mother’s hometown as Estherville, Iowa. While recalling her parents’ relationship, Shannon described Noel’s small-town background alongside John Amos’ upbringing in Newark, New Jersey. Her account connects Noel’s early life to the Midwest, before her college years in Colorado and later family life elsewhere.
Shannon also described her mother as having Danish and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. When reflecting on growing up with parents of different racial backgrounds, she emphasized the love she received from both and remembered seeing them simply as her mother and father. These recollections offer a personal view of Noel’s heritage and the family she helped build.
College Years and Meeting John Amos
Noel met John Amos while they were attending Colorado State University. John was studying sociology and playing football, with ambitions that initially centered on a sporting career. Their daughter Shannon later described the connection as love at first sight, recalling the college meeting as the beginning of her parents’ relationship.
Noel’s creative interests also became part of their partnership. John later explained that her experience as an artist helped her understand his reluctance to settle into a conventional nine-to-five working life. They married in 1965, while his professional ambitions were still taking shape. Their relationship developed through the years when he pursued football opportunities and eventually turned toward entertainment.
An Interracial Marriage Before Loving v. Virginia
Noel and John Amos married in 1965, two years before the Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision. Their daughter Shannon later shared a wedding photograph and reflected on her parents marrying while interracial unions remained prohibited in 16 states. Her account places their relationship within a period when racial discrimination shaped the choices available to many couples.
The Loving case concerned Richard and Mildred Loving, who married in Washington, D.C., and faced prosecution after returning to Virginia. In 1967, the Supreme Court invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage, finding that such restrictions violated constitutional protections. As documented by the National Archives, the ruling marked a significant change in marriage rights across the country. Noel and John had begun their married life before that nationwide legal change.
Her Art and Passion for Endurance Riding
Noel J. Mickelson was remembered as both an artist and a skilled horsewoman. John Amos acknowledged her artistic background, while family accounts describe the horses kept at their Sylmar home. Riding was part of the setting in which Shannon and K.C. grew up, connecting Noel’s interests with their memories of childhood.
In January 2017, K.C. shared an older photograph of his mother with a horse and recalled her winning numerous riding awards. His tribute specifically celebrated her endurance-riding ability, expressing pride in her accomplishments.
Endurance riding involves long-distance trail competition, with close attention to a horse’s stamina, conditioning, and welfare. The discipline requires sustained preparation and careful horsemanship, providing useful context for the skill her son remembered.
From New Jersey to Family Life in Sylmar
After marrying, Noel and John Amos moved to New Jersey, where he had grown up. Both found work as social workers while John continued pursuing opportunities in professional football. Their daughter Shannon was born in New Jersey in 1966, during these early years of marriage and parenthood.
The family later relocated to Los Angeles as John turned his attention toward acting. Noel moved with him and their daughter, and the couple raised Shannon and K.C. in the Sylmar neighborhood. Their California years coincided with John gaining television roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Good Times. Sylmar became the childhood home both children would recall when discussing their family’s early life.
Raising Shannon Amos and K.C. Amos
Shannon and her younger brother, Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos, were born four years apart. Both grew up around creative work and later entered entertainment themselves. Shannon became a producer, while K.C. pursued directing, and the siblings eventually collaborated on the independent film The Watermelon Heist.
Shannon’s recollections also reveal the emotional support she received from Noel. In a tribute, she described her mother as “my rock” and remembered being given space to express difficult feelings. Noel encouraged her to let her tears flow, advice Shannon later recalled while discussing grief. Her memories emphasize the comfort and acceptance she associated with their relationship.
Divorce From John Amos and Her Second Marriage
Noel J. Mickelson and John Amos divorced in 1975, after about a decade of marriage. A photograph shared by K.C. in 2014 showed the former couple with both children, recording a family gathering long after their separation.
Noel later married a man whom Shannon described as a Disney special-effects engineer. Her daughter recalled that Noel was living on a California ranch during this period. Her second husband subsequently became her caregiver following serious medical complications, an important part of the family’s account of her later years.
Later Health Challenges and Family Care
Shannon Amos told The Hollywood Reporter that medical complications during a hysterectomy in 1996 left Noel blind and with quadriplegia. Also called tetraplegia, the condition affects movement in both arms and both legs, although the extent of impairment varies between individuals.
According to Shannon’s account, Noel’s second husband cared for her until his death about nine years later. Photographs subsequently shared by her children showed Noel using a wheelchair, offering glimpses of her later years with the family. These accounts describe a prolonged period of disability and caregiving following the medical complications.
Creativity and Daily Routines in Her Home
Shannon Amos credited Noel J. Mickelson with teaching her and K.C. to express themselves creatively. This recollection adds something specific to Noel’s identity as an artist: her children remembered receiving encouragement to develop their own creativity. K.C.’s memories also included everyday household expectations. In a later social media post, he recalled that their mother expected dinner to be eaten by 6 p.m. Together, these accounts suggest a home that combined creative encouragement with regular routines.
Shannon also described both parents as encouraging her to explore beliefs and find her own path. In an interview, she explained that they had never forced her into a particular religion. That account offers another glimpse of her upbringing, where parental guidance included room for personal discovery and independent choices.
How Her Memory Influenced Shannon’s Wellness Work
Noel’s death became a turning point in Shannon’s adult life. After more than two decades working in entertainment, Shannon moved toward wellness and travel entrepreneurship. In 2020, she launched Sumanah, a company offering wellness travel experiences. This professional change extended the significance of her mother’s memory into a new direction for her work.
On her own website, Shannon describes traveling after her mother’s death and studying practices including yoga, mindfulness, Reiki, and ancestral traditions. She places those experiences within a broader account of grief, motherhood, and personal reinvention. Her account links remembering Noel with reconsidering how she wanted to spend her own life. It also shows how an experience of loss became part of the story behind the work she later chose to pursue.
Her Death and Shannon’s Tribute Through Travel
Noel J. Mickelson died in December 2016. Shannon later recalled asking her mother whether she had any regrets and learning that she wished she had traveled. Shannon suggested taking Noel’s ashes around the world, an idea she said her mother welcomed.
Over the following year, Shannon visited 14 countries, including India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. The journeys honored the wish they had discussed before Noel’s death and gave Shannon a personal way to remember her mother through experiences they had imagined together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Noel J. Mickelson?
Noel J. Mickelson was an artist and equestrian best known as John Amos’ first wife. She was the mother of Shannon and K.C. Amos.
What did Noel J. Mickelson do for a living?
She was described as an artist and equestrian. During her early marriage to John Amos, she also worked as a social worker in New Jersey.
How did Noel Mickelson meet John Amos?
They met while attending Colorado State University. Their daughter Shannon later described their connection as love at first sight.
When did Noel Mickelson and John Amos divorce?
They divorced in 1975, after approximately ten years of marriage.
How many children did Noel Mickelson have?
She had two children with John Amos: Shannon, born in 1966, and Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos, born in 1970.
When did Noel J. Mickelson die?
Noel J. Mickelson died in December 2016.
Conclusion: Noel J. Mickelson’s Life and Family Legacy
Noel J. Mickelson’s life combined artistic interests, horsemanship, and raising a family. Her children’s recollections preserve her riding accomplishments and the emotional support she offered as a mother.
Shannon’s journeys after her death gave Noel’s unfulfilled wish to travel a place in the family’s story. The tribute grew from a conversation between mother and daughter, carrying that connection into experiences Noel had hoped to enjoy. Read more celebrity profiles on UpdatedMagazine.
