Henry Winkler is a renowned American comedian, actor, producer, director, and author. He is most popularly known for his role as Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli on Happy Days. The show ran from 1974 to 1984.
His other notable projects include Barry, The Waterboy, Click, Heroes, Black Adam, Night Shift, Arrested Development, Better Late Than Never, Here Comes the Boom, The Lords of Flatbush, South Park, MacGyver, Human Resources, Little Nicky, The Martian, Cop and a Half, The French Dispatch, Down to You, One Christmas, Hero Factory, and Out of Practice.
Throughout his career, Winkler has received several accolades for his brilliant acting performances – his awards include three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Critics Choice Awards.
Besides his remarkable acting career, Henry is known for his love and devotion to his wife, Stacey Weitzman. The pair first met in a clothing shop in 1976, and couldn’t get his eyes off Stacey, who worked as a public-relations worker and the clothing shop owner was a client of hers.
The Happy Days alum saw Stacey and asked for her help. A very obliged Stacey assisted Winkler in his shopping. Recalling the day in an interview with PEOPLE, Henry said,
“She was wearing purple parachute pants, and she had red hair, and without her even saying a word, I thought, ‘Woah, beautiful woman standing in front of me.’ I came back to the store the next week and was there. And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is.”
He added, “I said, ‘Would you like to go for a soda? I just have to make a quick stop to buy a wedding gift.’ And she said, ‘I am not a gift service!’ But then she changed her mind and we went across the street and had ginger ales.”
Within a few weeks of their first date, Stacey and her then-4-year-old son moved in with Henry, and the pair started living together.
Henry and Stacey tied the knot in 1978 and have been together ever since.
At the time of their marriage, Winkler was becoming increasingly popular, and Stacey had to navigate through his growing fame. She not only stood by her husband through every thick and thin but also very gracefully dealt with all the female attention her husband continuously received after their marriage from his fans and followers.
“People would rush up to Henry and literally walk over my feet. One time I said, ‘You’ve just completely ruined my stockings.’ And this woman said, ‘But I love Fonzie!'” Stacey told PEOPLE.
The pair welcomed their first child, daughter Zoey in 1980 and their son Max in 1983. By the time Zoey was in college in the late 1990s, Weitzman was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, she quickly went into remission, and things seemed fine until 2007, when the family heard that Stacey’s cancer had returned.
This time, the love of Winkler’s life underwent a double mastectomy and has lived cancer-free since. Meanwhile, Henry ensured never to leave her side while fighting the deadly disease.
The Barry star has since been involved in breast cancer awareness campaigns – he was a guest speaker at the 13th annual In The Pink of Health luncheon and raised funds for breast cancer patients and their families.
The couple has been together for almost 45 years now, and Henry is still smitten with Stacey, and his love for her is stronger than ever. In 2018, the Out of Practice actor appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden and said his wife is still as beautiful as she looked on their wedding day decades ago.
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Source: PEOPLE
