Ginnie Newhart, wife of American comedy legend Bob Newhart, has died at the age of 82 her family confirmed.
The news came just three months after the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary together.
‘We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart – Wife, Mother and Grandmother on April 23rd, 2023 after a long battle with illness,’ a statement posted to 93-year-old Bob’s official Twitter read.
‘She was our rock and we miss her terribly.’
Family publicist Jerry Digney also confirmed the news to People Magazine on Monday.
The couple was initially set up by mutual friend actor Buddy Hackett on a blind date.
‘“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.” Which we did.’
Ginnie and Bob tied the knot the following year, in January 1963, and went on to have four children together.
The pair both reckoned the secret to their long and happy marriage was laughter, with Bob explaining to Parade in 2022: ‘No matter how intense the argument you’re having, you can find a line, and then you both look at each other and start laughing. It’s over, you know?
‘I think that sense of humour is very important to the longevity of a marriage.’
Ginnie had also shared the same sentiment in a 2005 PBS interview, sharing: ‘Comedians are just fun to be with. They seem to have longevity in their marriages.’
Bob is best known for his trademark deadpan and stammering style of delivery, first rising to fame in the 1960s with an album of comedic monologues.
He then enjoyed success on The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s – where Ginnie made the odd cameo in the background – and his sitcom Newhart, the idea for the finale of which he credited to his wife.
‘I loved her. RIP Ginnie Newhart.’
Actor Ben Stiller, whose parents were comics Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, also shared his condolences, writing: ‘Sending love to all the Newharts.’
She is survived by husband Bob, children Rob, Tim, Jennifer and Courtney, and 10 grandchildren.
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