Gerry Turner has captured our collective hearts on The Golden Bachelor, and at this point I’m rooting harder for him to find love than pretty much anyone I know (SORRY @ MY FRIENDS). In part because this is turning out to be the most wholesome show ever (who knew ABC was capable!) and also because if anyone deserves a shot of love in their twilight years, it’s this man:
As he explained during The Golden Bachelor’s season premiere, Gerry’s wife, Toni, passed away in 2017—shortly after they bought their dream home together. He’s opened up a bit about their love story on the show, and it’s extremely moving.
Gerry and Toni Met in High School
Yep, these two were high school sweethearts and spent 43 years of marriage together. Meaning Gerry’s stint on The Golden Bachelor is his first adult experience with dating.
He Initially Wanted to Ask Out Toni’s Best Friend
Gerry told People that “the best friend had absolutely no interest in me,” and “I remember standing there, chatting with Toni, and talking about her best friend. All of a sudden, I thought, ‘Well, what the heck? This gal seems really nice and a good conversationalist.’”
Their First Date Was at the YMCA
“Back then in Ottumwa, Iowa, which is where I lived, the big deal every Friday was a dance at the YMCA; There’d be a band and so forth,” Gerry told People. “So I asked Toni out the first time to a dance at the YMCA. We pretty much dated regularly for the next four or five years.”
They Got Married in 1972
And went on to have two daughters named Jenny and Angie (not to mention grandchildren!).
Tragically, Toni passed away from a bacterial infection shortly after she and Gerry bought their dream lakefront home. Gerry said that “The first lake house that we bought together, I sold that house as soon as another house came available on the lake that was comparable because I just couldn’t stand the memories of her being there—or, actually, not being there. I moved out of that house just to get away from those memories.”
Gerry Was Anxious About Toni’s Portrayal on the Show
As he told the New York Times, “I wanted to make sure that the story of my wife’s passing was told in a kind and sensitive way, and never sensationalized. I really didn’t want to tell that story over and over. I wanted it to be out there for people to know, but I also wanted to move on.”
He also opened up to Good Morning America on how Toni would feel about him finding another shot at love, saying, “I have her picture on a dresser in my closet. Every morning, I give her the nod, ‘So what do you think about this?’ For a while, it was like I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be okay. But we always told each other, when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy. She’s saying, ‘Yeah, Gerry, do this.’”
Gerry and Toni obviously had a beautiful love story, and it’s clear he’s keeping her memory close to his heart during The Golden Bachelor. As Gerry said on the show, “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. 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.”