Who were Frank Bonner's wives? Inside actor's 5 marriages as he dies at 79
Actor and TV director Frank Bonner died on June 16, 2021, at the age of 79. Best known for his role as Herb Tarlek on the CBS sitcom show 'WKRP in Cincinnati', Bonner's character was recognized for the iconic plaid suits and white shoes, with a matching belt. The legendary actor died after complications from Lewy body dementia.
Frank Bonner is survived by his wife Gayle Hardage who was his high school sweetheart. Bonner and Hardage tied the knot in 2006 and raised four children together. Bonner's tragic death comes on the heels of the deaths of writer Janet Malcolm, journalist Dick Stolley and actor Heidi Ferrer.
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Who were Frank Bonner's wives?
Born on February 28, 1942, Bonner debuted in acting in 1967 with the experimental independent film, 'The Equinox ... A Journey into the Unknown'. He got married for the first time just a year before. In 1966, he married his first wife Sharon Gray, but the couple ended up divorcing just four years later in 1971.
From 1972 to 1975, Bonner was married to his second wife, Mary A Rings. Rings is an actress known for movies like 'Airwolf', 'Chicago Hope' and 'Strong Medicine'. But the pair was not a match made in heaven as their love faded out within just three years.
Bonner's third wife was Lillian Garrett-Groag, an accomplished American playwright, theater director, and actress. Known for plays like 'The Ladies of the Camellias', 'The White Rose' and 'The Magic Fire', Garrett-Groag won several international awards and honors for her work. She was married to Frank Bonner for three years, from 1977 to 1980.
Bonner suffered serious injuries in October 1979 following a parachute accident. He was wounded after falling about 20 feet when his ascendency chute collapsed as he was being towed by a four-wheel-drive vehicle over a dry lake bed near Los Angeles.
In 1981, Bonner got married the fourth time to Catherin M Sherwood. This marriage also failed, though it is not certain when exactly the couple divorced.
Eventually, in 2006, Bonner married Gayle Hardage with whom he stayed till his tragic death. She supported Bonner through thick and thin as he was battling dementia and other health issues.