- Bob Newhart's wife of 60 years has died after a long illness. Details revealed.
- His only life regret is connected to his 11-years-younger wife.
- In his 90s, Bob realized he had to be more devoted to his sick wife, their four kids, and ten grandkids.
Bob Newhart is an American actor well known for his roles in "The Bob Newhart Show," "Elf," "The Librarian," and even "The Big Bang Theory." However, he has not always been solely focused on his career.
Newhart also had an incredibly successful marriage to Ginny Newhart. The couple was married for sixty years. Unfortunately, their relationship recently ended because of a tragedy in the family.
Bob and Ginny Newhart at the 2005 TV Land Awards in Santa Monica | Source: Getty Images
Newhart recently took to Facebook to share the news that his wife and the mother of his children had passed away. He said she had been ill for a long time and finished the post by musing:
"She was our rock, and we miss her terribly."
Fans sent their love and condolences in the post's comments section, saying Newhart and his wife were inspirational as a couple who could stay married through thick and thin and welcome new generations.
Bob and Ginny Newhart and family when Newhart received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
Many news publications also reported on Newhart's wife's death, revealing she was 82 when she passed away and was survived by her husband, four children, and a whopping ten grandchildren.
Why Couldn't Newhart Afford to Marry Ginnie at First?
Newhart and his wife shared a wonderful romance, and it all started when a mutual friend set them up on a blind date in 1960. Buddy Hacket and Newhart were on "The David Susskind Show" when Hackett suggested Newhart go on a date with a girl he knew.
Bob Newhart speaks at The Paley Honors: A Special Tribute To Television's Comedy Legends in 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Hacket thought Newhart should meet Ginny because she was an Irish Catholic, and he knew that Newhart was catholic, too. Hacket joked:
"You'll meet her, and you'll date, and you'll get married. Then you'll have kids, and you'll call one of the kids Buddy."
Bob, Ginny, Julie, and Olivia Newhart at the Third Annual Young Musicians Foundation's Celebrity Mother-Daughter Fashion Show in 1984 | Source: Getty Images
Newhart knew quite quickly that she was the one for him because they shared the same values and had fun together. The couple married in 1963 and honored Buddy by naming one of their daughters after him.
The couple built a beautiful life together, and although they were both in show business, with Ginny being an extra in movies, they didn't attend a-list parties or rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Instead, they preferred to enjoy one another's company at home.
Ginny and Bob Newhart at theCBS TV Affiliates Party at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California in 1987 | Source: Getty Images
When asked if he had any regrets about when he married his wife, Newhart revealed that he did not have any regrets. Instead, he felt he would have married his wife sooner if he could have afforded it.
He recalled having his first record come out and reach number one on the charts, saying he had nobody to share it with when it finally happened for him. Newhart wished he could have shared it with Ginny but knew he could not afford to tie the knot. Talking about Ginny, Newhart said:
"She was everything."
Ginny and Bob Newhart outside Mr Chow's Restaurant in 2002 | Source: Getty Images
After Newhart and Ginnie married, she was around for all his successes and failures. She always cheered him on, even if things didn't go the way he wanted them to when he was performing. He finally had someone to share everything with.
While Ginny always built her husband up, she knew how to bring him back down to earth again, too. Once, Ginny asked Newhart to take out the recyclables. Newhart felt particularly full of himself that day, so he challenged her.
When Ginny asked her husband kindly to take out the recyclables, he asked her if she thought Angelina Jolie asked Brad Pitt to take out the recyclables. Ginny quickly quipped that if Newhart were Brad Pitt, she wouldn't ask him to do it.
Ginny and Bob Newhart at the Superbowl Party at Chasen's Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California in 1989 | Source: Getty Images
The couple shared love and laughter for many years, and they also shared four children named Robert William Newhart, Jennifer Newhart, Courtney Newhart, and Timothy Newhart. One of their daughter's nicknames pays tribute to Buddy Hackett, who set Newhart and Ginny up on a date.
Why Did Newhart Become More Devoted to His Sick Wife after Turning 90?
Newhart is now 93 and recently widowed, but in 2019, just after he turned 90, he gave an interview in which he talked about what it was like to be 90 and how he felt to be married for so long.
Bob and Ginny Newhart attend An Evening with Bob Newhart: A "Newhart" Celebration in 2018 | Source: Getty Images
When Newhart was asked how he felt about turning 90, Newhart said he was glad he had experienced everything he had, like having the first number-one comedy record, two self-titled TV shows, and meeting everyone he did.
However, Newhart never expected that he would make it to 90. He revealed that his father had died in his late 80s and his mother had passed on in her early 90s, which left him feeling like he got their longevity genes.
While he is grateful that he has been able to live this long and meet friends along the way, the actor has lost precious friends in recent years and talked about what that was like for him to live through.
Newhart said that losing friends like Don Rickles, Mike Conners, and Tim Conway put everything into perspective for him. He began prioritizing spending time with family and seeing close friends more often.
Although his children and grandchildren love him dearly, they have not all dipped their toes into the comedy pool. Yet, his now 15-year-old grandson tried doing standup when he was only twelve.
Newhart asked the young man if he had enjoyed his set, to which he replied that some jokes worked and others didn't, but he pushed through. Newhart then encouraged him by saying:
"That's the secret. You've got to keep going and put one foot in front of the other."
Now, Newhart spends much of his time with his family and posts on social media about his wife often. In January this year, he posted photos of himself and Ginny throughout the years and mentioned it was the anniversary of their first date.
Bob Newhart at the Gold Derby Emmys kickoff party in 2019 | Source: Getty Images
He told the story of how Hackett had set them up on a blind date and then revealed their wedding date to be January 12, 1963. He said they wanted to honor the day by sharing their favorite photos. What a beautiful couple!
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