Bob Newhart Lost His Wife to an Illness After 60 Years of Marriage

Comedian Bob Newhart, dubbed the "Dean of the Deadpan Delivery," died on July 18, 2024, due to a series of short illnesses, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. At 94, Bob passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home, his publicist announced. Bob was beloved for both his stand-up comedy and acting, having starred in both The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart. He also voiced Bernard in the Disney animated franchise The Rescuers.

Aside from the love he received from critics and audiences, Bob was also well-loved by his family — most of all, his wife. Bob and Ginnie Newhart were married for almost exactly 60 years before she died in 2023.

Here's what we know about their relationship.

Virginia "Ginnie" Quinn, daughter of notable character actor Bill Quinn, was introduced to Bob by comedian and actor Buddy Hackett — and, per The Hollywood Reporter, Ginnie was babysitting Buddy's kids at the time. Ginnie and Bob quickly became close and eventually married in January 1963.

"Buddy came back one day and said in his own inimitable way, ‘I met this young guy and his name is Bobby Newhart, and he’s a comic, and he’s Catholic and you’re Catholic, and I think maybe you should marry each other,'" Ginnie said in an interview. "I was 20 [or] 21and I think Bob was 32."

In 2023, just a few months after the couple celebrated their 60th anniversary, Ginnie passed away at their home in Century City after a long illness. No further information about her death was ever shared with the public.

During the course of their six-decade marriage, Bob and Ginnie had four children: Robert, born in 1965; Timothy, born in 1967; Jennifer, born in 1973; and Courtney, born in 1979. Between all of their children, Bob and Ginnie also had a whopping 10 grandchildren.