Suzanne Somers' Widower Alan Hamel Remembers 'Every Moment' from When He Met His Wife of 46 Years (Exclusive)
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Somers' husband reminisces with PEOPLE about the day he met the late TV legend in 1969
Alan Hamel instantly felt pulled to future wife Suzanne Somers.
Seven years before Somers shot to stardom on Three’s Company, Hamel was the host of 1969's The Anniversary Game when he spotted the actress working as a prize model.
Hamel tells PEOPLE in this week's issue — which celebrates Somers' life and legacy after her death Sunday at age 76 — that he recalls “every moment” of their first encounter.
"We were going to be shooting in a couple of hours and I had my crew around me and we're talking about last minute touch-ups," recalls Hamel, 87. "I look over on the other side of the stage, and I see the most incredible woman I've ever seen in my life. And I thought, 'I have to go over there and talk to her.'"
He continues, "So I left the crew, and I started walking over and I've never been good with come-on lines at all." Admitting that he was feeling a "little panicky" about what to say, he says, "So I blurted out, 'Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?' How's that for stupid? And she did. She did get me a cup of coffee, and there was an immediate connection like I had never felt before in my life."
Related: Read the Love Letter Suzanne Somers' Husband Alan Hamel Wrote to Her the Day Before Her Death
Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic
After dating for several years and purchasing a private retreat in Palm Springs, California, in 1977, the couple tied the knot that same year and remained inseparable until Somers died one day short of her 77th birthday.
Throughout the course of their marriage, the pair worked closely to build Somers' lifestyle brand and wellness empire, with Hamel even serving as Somers' manager to focus on making career-oriented deals that would benefit her in the long run.
Suzanne Somers/Instagram
They weren't afraid to talk about the inner workings of their relationship, including their thriving sex life, and when Somers struggled on and off with breast cancer, their work took a backseat to prioritizing her health.
"The past 42 years, we have not spent even one hour apart. And one of our sons refers to our relationship as 'functionally codependent,' which it probably is," Hamel quips.
Related: Suzanne Somers' Life in Photos
For more on Suzanne Somers, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
To celebrate Somers’ life on Monday, what would have been her 77th birthday, the family gathered to offer a toast in her memory and eat cake because, as Hamel puts it, "Suzanne was crazy for cake."
Looking back on the years of joy and laughter the couple shared, Hamel credits their successful relationship simply to kismet.
“I mean, I'm a big city guy from Toronto, and she's a small-town girl from Northern California” he says. “What are the odds of these two people meeting? But we've met, and for that, I'm grateful.”
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
