All About ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Star, Gerry Turner’s Late Wife, Toni
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
There’s a new bachelor coming to our screens, but this one has a bit more life experience than those past. The Bachelor’s latest spinoff The Golden Bachelor, focuses on 72-year-old Gerry Turner looking for a second chance at love. While we’ve gotten glimpses into the star’s personal life ahead of the show’s premiere (which is tonight!), you may be wondering about Gerry Turner’s wife. The star opened up about his late wife, Toni, in a sneak peek clip during a “Men Tell All” episode. Here’s what you need to know about the pair and their family.
They were high school sweethearts
Gerry, a retired restaurateur, and Toni were high school sweethearts who married in 1972. The couple was married for over 40 years. “We had 43 wonderful years together,” Turner said, per Bachelor Nation. “We had a real typical but beautiful life, full of love, full of activity, and as years went on, I retired.”
Gerry gave an emotional peek into his marriage with Toni, whom he unexpectedly lost about six years ago. Toni retired at the end of May 2017 and the couple bought their dream house together, but after closing on the house, Toni’s health took a turn.
Toni passed away in 2017
“She became ill and her situation got worse over a couple of weeks,” Gerry said in the “Men Tell All” episode, per Bachelor Nation. Mere days after closing on their home, on June 6, Toni contracted a bacterial infection that spread to her liver and kidneys. The couple rushed to the emergency room on July 7 and she tragically passed away July 15.
“Every time I look at that lake, I go, ‘This is her dream, this is what she deserves,’” he said in the clip. “‘Why am I standing here alone?’”
Toni’s obituary states she was born on November 22, 1951. At the time of her passing, the happy couple lived in Hudson, Indiana, and Toni worked as the volunteer coordinator for Trinity Medical Center. In an interview with Good Morning America, Gerry revealed that he keeps a photo of his late wife in his closet, giving her a nod every morning while choosing what to wear. He told GMA that he knows Toni would be proud of him for entering this new chapter in his life.
“We always told each other when one of us goes, we want the other to be happy,” Gerry said in the GMA interview. “She’s up there rooting [for me]. She’s saying, ‘Yeah, Gerry. Do this.’”
They had two daughters and two granddaughters
Gerry and Toni had two daughters, Jenny Young and Angie Warner, and two granddaughters, whom Gerry said helped pull him out of a dark spot after losing Toni. Now, Gerry is hoping The Golden Bachelor gives him the chance to add someone new to his loving family.
“I hope at the end of this, I’ll find that person to spend the rest of my life with that will complete our family,” Gerry said in the clip. “I want to fall in love. I really want to find my person who can put me in my place when I need it and make me smile at it. I want someone who can lay down beside me at night and not have to say anything, but you feel that’s love. That’s what I want and I know that person is out there.”
While romance may be at the forefront of viewers’ and contestants’ minds, Gerry hopes he can show that love has no age limit. “The women and I are committed to showing the world that you still have energy and vitality in your 60s and 70s,” Gerry said, per the Los Angeles Times. “And guess what? You get a lot of wisdom. Some of us aren’t smart, but we’ve seen a lot of stuff. That’s a theme that I hope gets carried through the show.”
The Golden Bachelor airs tonight on ABC, where Gerry will make his television debut and take a second shot at love.
You Might Also Like
