How Gerry Turner Keeps His Wife's Memory Alive on 'The Golden Bachelor'
The Golden Bachelor is taking the reality world into unchartered—and very welcome—territory with ABC's first senior-themed dating show.
The new series features a cast of ladies in their 60s and 70s vying for the final rose from Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Indiana.
Turner, who married for 43 years, lost his wife, Toni, in 2017. He was heartbroken when she died suddenly from a bacterial infection just after they bought their dream house and were preparing to spend their golden years together.
With his family’s support, Gerry decided it was finally time to look for a new partner.
“I’m pretty sure that she would have been thrilled and excited for me," Gerry said In an exclusive interview with Parade. "We, in our lives, worked hard to keep each other happy and of course, like in any marriage, we had some difficult times but all in all, I think we had a wonderful marriage, and I think that either of us would be happy for the other in pursuing this journey.”
Related: Meet the Golden Bachelor's Sexy Single Ladies
Even as he moves on in his quest for love, Toni is still very much in his thoughts. Gerry reveals that he kept a sweet memento with him on set to remember to remember his late wife.
“It was a small framed picture of her," he said. "I kept it visible whenever I could and of course a lot of times, moving around and being active, that wasn’t possible, but I had that picture with me.”
Gerry says he brought it "not so much to lift my spirits but [to honor] the feeling of camaraderie and the reminder that we had given each other permission to move forward in life after one of us passes to find happiness and to continue a fulfilling life.”
We can't wait to follow Gerry on his journey. The Golden Bachelor premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 28 on ABC.
