Bob Barker’s Late Wife Dorothy Jo Gideon: All About Their Romance & His Life Since Her Passing

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Image Credit: Shutterstock Bob Barker is simply a beloved TV host, astir known for hosting ‘The Price Is Right’ for implicit 30 years. Bob was joined to Dorothy Jo Gideon for astir 40 years, until her passing successful 1981. Bob has ne'er remarried since his wife’s passing.

Bob Barker is a TV icon. After starting his vocation arsenic a vigor broadcaster, Bob, 99, became a household sanction arsenic helium began hosting crippled shows, with 2 incredibly agelong stints hosting antithetic shows. He spent 19 years hosting the show Truth Or Consequences from 1956 until 1975. Towards the extremity of his clip with Truth Or Consequences, he began hosting a caller show The Price Is Right in 1972. Bob remained the big of The Price Is Right, until helium retired successful 2007, leaving the hosting duties to Drew Carey after 35 years.

By his broadside for overmuch of his vocation was his precocious wife Dorothy Jo Gideon. Bob and Dorothy were precocious schoolhouse sweethearts, and she supported him during his tenure arsenic a crippled amusement big until her decease successful 1981. Find retired much astir Dorothy and her narration with Bob here.

Bob and Dorothy were joined from 1945 until her decease successful 1981. (Shutterstock)

How Did Bob Meet Dorothy?

Bob and Dorothy archetypal met erstwhile they were teenagers. As a caller pupil Central High School successful Springfield, Missouri, the aboriginal crippled amusement big asked Dorothy if she’d articulation him connected a day to an Ella Fitzgerald concert. While they archetypal commencement dating astatine 15, their transportation remained done their lives. “We fell successful emotion arsenic kids, and we stayed successful love,” Bob told People in 1999.

They Got Married In 1945

During World War II, Bob enlisted successful the U.S. Navy and trained arsenic a combatant pilot, per Britannica. While helium ne'er saw progressive duty, it was during his clip successful the subject that helium and Dorothy wed. While helium was connected permission successful 1945, the brace eloped connected January 12, and they stayed joined until Dorothy’s death. Throughout their astir 40-year marriage, the mates ne'er had kids.

Former Price Is Right prize exemplary Janice Pennington shared a communicative astir what Dorothy told her erstwhile she asked for the cardinal to a blessed matrimony successful a 1999 interrogation with People. “Once, idiosyncratic asked her what is the concealed of her blessed marriage. ‘Two things,’ she said. ‘I emotion Bob Barker, and Bob Barker loves Bob Barker,'” she recalled.

Dorothy Appeared In A Few TV Shows

While Bob is precise well-known for his clip arsenic the big of The Price of Right, Dorothy besides made her stock of TV appearances. She was a impermanent successful one-off spots on I’ll Bet in 1965, It’s Your Bet in 1972, and Dinah in 1979. Her longest-running quality was successful 20 episodes of the bid Tattletales, successful which she appeared alongside Bob, per IMDb.

Bob credited Dorothy with inspiring his carnal rights activism. (Shutterstock)

Like Bob, She Was A Staunch Animal Rights Activist

Aside from his crippled amusement hosting, Bob is besides precise well-known for his dedication to carnal rights, but he’s ever credited his precocious woman with being the inspiration for his attraction for them. “She was up of her time. She truly was. She stopped wearing fur coats earlier anyone was stopping,” helium told Good Morning America in 2007. “She became a vegetarian earlier radical were becoming vegetarian. And I gradually did the aforesaid happening with her.”

She Died Of Lung Cancer In 1981

Dorothy was diagnosed with lung crab successful 1981, and she died from the illness conscionable six months aft receiving her diagnosis. She was 57 years old. After her death, Bob has ne'er remarried. “I ne'er had immoderate inclination to remarry,” helium told GMA. “She was my wife.”

Bob’s Life Since Her Passing

After his wife’s death, Bob has remained existent to his word, and helium hasn’t remarried. Though helium did look to admit that helium did spot different radical aft her passing successful the above-mentioned People interview. “Am I inactive sexually active?” helium said. “In that peculiar area, I person been blessed. I don’t person to settee for conscionable conversational intimacy.”

While helium ne'er remarried, Bob did proceed hosting The Price Is Right for implicit 2 and a fractional decades aft his woman passed away. Aside from his hosting duties, helium besides made occasional appearances arsenic himself successful shows like The Nanny and How I Met Your Mother or the movie Happy Gilmore. He besides penned the memoir Priceless Memories in 2009.

Bob has besides continued to grant Dorothy and her committedness to animals by continuing his carnal rights activism. He’s made galore donations to antithetic organizations similar the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and PETA, which opened “The Bob Barker Building” successful 2012.

Bob has continued to sojourn Dorothy’s sedate successful Forest Lawn cemetery since her death. He’s been seen going and leaving flowers astatine her last resting spot connected the day of her passing, with 1 of the much caller sightings being successful 2017, per Daily News. 

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