Who Was Bob Newhart's Wife? All About Ginnie Newhart

Bob Newhart and Ginnie Newhart were married for 60 years

Bob Newhart's wife, Ginnie Newhart, died on April 23, 2023, at the age of 82.

"We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart - Wife, Mother and Grandmother after a long battle with illness. She was our rock and we miss her terribly," Bob shared in a statement on Twitter.

The comedian met Ginnie (born Virginia Quinn) in 1962 when they were set up on a blind date by their mutual friend, actor Buddy Hackett.

"Buddy said, 'I've got a girl for you,' " Bob recalled to PEOPLE in 2019. "'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."

The pair wed the following year and went on to welcome four children.

Ginnie was by Bob's side through all his endeavors over the years. He first made a splash in the entertainment scene in 1960, when a recording of his early stand-up act won him album of the year and best new artist at the Grammys — and he has been the only non-musician to win the latter. He went on to star in his own sitcoms The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978 and Newhart from 1982 to 1990. He's also had roles in films like Elf and Catch-22, as well as shows such as The Big Bang Theory.

In January 2023, the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They credited the longevity of their marriage to laughter.

So, who was Bob Newhart's wife? Here's everything to know about Ginnie Newhart.

Her father was a well-known actor

Ginnie's father, Bill Quinn, was an American actor known for a variety of iconic films and TV shows. He began his career as a child in vaudeville acts, eventually moving on to silent films, TV sitcoms and high-profile films. He starred on shows like Archie Bunker's Place and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, while his film appearances include Twilight Zone: The Movie and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He even guest-starred on two of Bob's eponymous sitcoms.

She appeared on The Bob Newhart Show multiple times

During the run of The Bob Newhart Show, Bob's publicist Sam Honigberg asked Ginnie if she would be on the show.

"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," she told PBS for Bob Newhart: Unbuttoned in 2005. "I did a couple of those things where I was a dancer in the background, which I was not a dancer."

She met Bob through Buddy Hackett

Ginnie often babysat Hackett's children, and Hackett insisted on setting her up with Bob. "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 recalled to PBS. "And we had a blind date at Buddy's house, Buddy and Sherry's house, with another couple and we played pool."

Ginnie also recalled her first impression of Bob. "He was cute," she said. "He was very interesting to talk to and very bright, very well-read. I just liked him as a person."

She and Bob got married in 1963

Bob's proposal was very straightforward, as Ginnie 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.' "

The couple tied the knot on Jan. 12, 1963. "I think it frightened him when he married me because he said, 'I'm no longer just responsible for myself, I have a wife,' " Ginnie later told PBS.

On their 60th wedding anniversary, Bob shared several throwback photos from throughout their relationship on Twitter, including a shot from their wedding day and a photo of the pair posing with Hackett.

She and Bob have four children

The pair have four children together. Their son oldest son, Robert, was born in November 1963, just 11 months after they got married. Their second son, Timothy, was born in 1967. Their daughters, Jennifer and Courtney, were born in 1971 and 1977, respectively.

Holding true to Hackett's words when he first introduced Bob and Ginnie, they did name one of their children after the actor. "One of our daughters, we called her Buddy," Newhart told PEOPLE in November 2020.

Bob and Ginnie are also grandparents to 10 children.

The secret to their marriage was making each other laugh

In a 2022 interview with Parade, Bob talked about the importance of laughter in their relationship. "The marriages of comedians, no matter how stormy, seem to last a long time, and I attribute it to laughter," he said. "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."

Ginnie shared a similar sentiment in her 2005 interview with PBS. "Comedians are just fun to be with," she told the outlet. "They seem to have longevity in their marriages."

She was Bob's biggest support system

In 2020, Bob told CBS Sunday Morning that Ginnie had always been there for him, through both successes and failures. "She'd be in the dressing room. She'd say, 'Something's wrong with the sound system. I couldn't hear anything,' " he remembered. "I said, 'Honey, nothing was wrong with the sound system. They didn't laugh!' "

Ginnie recalled that the first 10 years of his career were difficult for her husband, whom she described as being "terribly shy" when he was off stage. "And I always thought that maybe he would go into teaching, or do something else," she said. "But then I realized that it was definitely in his blood and he was … starting to enjoy it. I knew that he was hooked."

She died in April 2023

On April 23, 2023, at the age of 82, Ginnie died after a long illness.

Publicist Jerry Digney confirmed the sad news in a statement to PEOPLE. "Ginnie Newhart, 82, beloved wife of 60 years to comedy legend Bob Newhart, passed away Sunday April 23rd, after a long illness," Digney said.

Bob shared his own statement on Twitter, writing, "We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart - Wife, Mother and Grandmother after a long battle with illness. She was our rock and we miss her terribly."

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