Famous comedian and actor Bob Newhart has lost his ladylove Ginnie. His wife passed away at the age of 82 on Sunday, April 23, 2023. She died following a long battle with an illness.
The heartbreaking news of Bob Newhart’s wifey Ginnie’s death was confirmed by his publicist Jerry Digney. Keep scrolling further to know the cause behind the demise of Bob’s wife of 60 years, Ginnie.
Bob Newhart mourns the loss of his beloved wife Ginnie
Bob Newhart’s wife Ginnie left for the heavenly abode on April 23, 2023, Sunday. At the time of her passing, she was 82 years old. She passed away following a battle with an illness. As of this moment, the name of the illness has not been disclosed publicly.
The statement issued by the publicist Jerry Digney read, “Ginnie Newhart, 82, beloved wife of 60 years to comedy legend Bob Newhart, passed away Sunday, April 23rd, after a long illness.”
In addition to this, Bob also announced the sad news via a statement of his own on his official Twitter account. He wrote, “We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart – Wife, Mother and Grandmother on April 23rd, 2023 after a long battle with illness. She was our rock and we miss her terribly.”
We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart – Wife, Mother and Grandmother on April 23rd, 2023 after a long battle with illness. She was our rock and we miss her terribly.
– The Newhart Family
— Bob Newhart (@BobNewhart) April 24, 2023
The unfortunate news of Ginnie’s demise comes nearly 3 months after the pair celebrated their 60th anniversary together earlier this year in January. Ginnie is survived by her husband Rob, the pair’s four children Rob, Tim, Jennifer and Courtney, and their ten grandchildren.
Here’s all you need to know about Bob Newhart’s wife Ginnie Newhart (including her early life and more)
Bob Newhart’s wife Ginnie was the daughter of American actor Bill Quinn known for a variety of iconic films and TV shows. Not much is known about her mother Mary Catherine. She grew up with her 2 sisters: Eileen Quinn and Mary Ellen Wire.
Her famous father Bill started acting at the young age of 5. He kicked off his acting career as a child in vaudeville acts. Soon after, he started getting roles in silent films and then, he moved on to TV sitcoms and high-profile films.
Bill who passed away in the year 1994 at the age of 81 starred in movies like Twilight Zone: The Movie, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Advise and Consent, Love is a Funny Thing, Matilda, Cry for Happy, It Happened at the World’s Fair and When the Boys Meet the Girls amongst many others.
His television credits include Archie Bunker’s Place, The Odd Couple, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, Mc,Hale’s Navy, Land of the Giants, Barnaby Jones, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
How did Bob Newhart and Ginnie Newhart meet?
During a 2019 interview with People magazine, the Golden Globe winner shed some light on the early years of his marriage with his wife Ginnie. The two of them were introduced by their mutual friend, actor Buddy Hackett. He set them on a blind date.
Back in the day, Ginnie often babysat Buddy’s kids and he was keen on setting her up with Bob. She told PBS, “He came home one day and you said, ‘I met this guy. And his name is Bobby Newhart. I played golf with him. And I think you should marry him.'”
She went on to say, “And we had a blind date at Buddy’s house, Buddy and Sherry’s house, with another couple and we played pool.” She also recalled her first impression of Bob and she further added, “He was cute. He was very interesting to talk to and very bright, very well-read. I just liked him as a person.”
At that time, Bob recalled, “Buddy said, ‘I’ve got a girl for you.’ She’s going with another guy, but I don’t think he’s right for her, so I’m going to fix you up 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.”
How did Bob Newhart propose to his ladylove Ginnie?
Bob’s proposal to his wife Ginnie was pretty straightforward. She explained, “He said, ‘Would you go to … St. Louis in winter if you had a ring on your finger? Would your parents let you go?’ And I said, ‘You’re proposing.’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ ”
Newhart and Ginnie walked down the aisle in 1963. The two of them stayed with each other through the good as well as the bad times. They were together for more than 6 decades.
When did Bob Newhart and his wife Ginnie get married?
For those of you who are unaware, let us share with you, the brilliant comedian Bob Newhart whose real name is George Robert Newhart tied the knot with his wife Ginnie, the daughter of character actor Bill Quinn in the year 1963.
The pair exchanged their vows on January 12, 1963. Throughout their marriage, Virginia “Ginnie” Quinn and her husband Bob welcomed a total of 4 kids together: Robert, Timothy, Jennifer, and Courtney.
The secret to the long-lasting marriage of Bob Newhart and his wife Ginnie Newhart was laughter
In a 2022 interview with Parade, the On A Clear Day You Can See Forever actor credited the longevity of their marriage to laughter. Then, he said, “The marriages of comedians, no matter how stormy, seem to last a long time, and I attribute it to laughter.”
Bob told the media outlet, “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 humor is very important to the longevity of a marriage.”
During her 2005 interview with PBS, Ginnie echoed the same sentiment and went on to say, “Comedians are just fun to be with. They seem to have longevity in their marriages.”
Ginnie was there for Bob through thick and thin
In the year 2020, Bob told CBS Sunday Morning that his wife Ginnie had been there for him through successes and failures. He remembered, “She’d be in the dressing room. She’d say, ‘Something’s wrong with the sound system. I couldn’t hear anything.’ I said, ‘Honey, nothing was wrong with the sound system. They didn’t laugh!'”
Ginnie recalled the first 10 years of Bob’s career were difficult for him. Then, she referred to him as “terribly shy” when he was off stage. She said, “I always thought that maybe he would go into teaching, or do something else. But then I realized that it was definitely in his blood and he was … starting to enjoy it. I knew that he was hooked.”
During the run of the show named The Bob Newhart Show which ran from the year 1972 to 1978, Bob’s publicist Sam Honigberg asked his wife Ginnie whether she would like to be on the show.
At that point, she told PBS, “He said, ‘Well, we need background dancers in the back of Gisele MacKenzie and whoever else.’ And the next thing I know, I’m on a flat, I’m moving and I’m not a dancer. But they had to pay me less. I did a couple of those things where I was a dancer in the background, which I was not a dancer.”
Apart from this, Ginnie had the credits for creating the beloved finale of her husband’s show Newhart in the year 1990 in which his character Dick wakes up as Bob Hartley who suggests the second CBS series was a dream.
While having a chat with Yahoo Entertainment in 2020, Bob said, “Ginny knew I was unhappy with CBS. She told me, ‘You know what the final show should be? You wake up in bed with Suzie and you describe this dream you had about owning an inn in Vermont.’ I said, ‘Honey, that’s a great idea!’ Suzanne was actually at the same party, and we told her about it when we saw her. She said, ‘I’ll be there in a New York minute.'”
Newhart talked about the surprise ending of the show and further added, “I gave the idea to the writers, and they filled out the rest.”
Tributes pour in for Ginnie Newhart
After the news of Ginnie’s death broke out, Newhart star Julie Duffy paid a heartfelt tribute to her on the social media platform Twitter by writing, “Funny, candid, huge heart. Gave me the best advice in everything from decorating to childbirth and children and yes, husbands. I loved her. RIP Ginnie Newhart.”
American actor Ben Stiller known for his performances in movies such as Zoolander, Night at the Museum, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Locked Down, penned, “Sending love to all the Newharts.”
Followed by a fan who penned, “Thank you, #GinnieNewhart for giving #BobNewhart the idea to have #Suzanne Pleshette guest star for the finale of Newhart. Best finale in #classictv history! 🎥🎬❤️🎬RIP, Ginnie.”
Another user tweeted, “Oh I’m so sorry. My heart goes out to you and your family. Love you all. @BobNewhart Still watch you every day or every week. My prayers are with your family. God Bless you.”
We send our deepest condolences to the near and dear ones of Ginnie Newhart during this time of difficulty. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
