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Who was Gerry Turner's late wife? 'The Golden Bachelor' doesn't expect new romance to look like his relationship with Toni Turner

While preparing to find his new love, Gerry Turner acknowledged that he would never be able to 'replace' his late wife Toni

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA: Gerry Turner is all set to find the love of his life! Gerry recently talked about his aspirations for meeting the next love of his life on 'The Golden Bachelor' in a teaser film that aired during 'The Bachelorette' Season 20 'The Men Tell All' special episode.

As the show tied up all of its dramatic loose ends involving storylines from Charity Lawson's season of ABC's 'The Bachelorette', the 'Men Tell All' special also featured a sit-down with Gerry, who is slated to star on the network's highly anticipated spinoff series 'The Golden Bachelor'.

Gerry, a 71-year-old retired restaurateur from Indiana, joined the 'Bachelor' franchise presenter Jesse Palmer onstage to give a sneak peek at the dating series, which premieres in September.

Gerry, who has two children and two granddaughters, will meet 25 eligible seniors fighting for his heart in the first season of the program.

Who is Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner's wife?

Gerry, a pickleball aficionado and former restaurateur, was married to Toni Turner. His wife Toni had been his high school love. They got married in 1974 and were been together for 43 years.

Gerry's wife Toni was born on November 22, 1951, and died on July 15, 2017, according to her obituary on Legacy. Toni lived in Hudson, Indiana, at the time of her death.

What happened to Gerry Turner’s late wife Toni Turner?

During an appearance on 'Good Morning America', Gerry discussed the loss of his late wife Toni, stating, "She got robbed." "Every day that goes by," he said, "that's the thought I have."

While neither Gerry nor Toni's obituary disclosed what happened to her, he did mention that his wife got ill unexpectedly. Toni died six weeks after retiring from her employment as a result of an illness. Gerry feels that his wife is "rooting" for him as he begins his new adventure.

In a video clip aired on August 14, Gerry talked about marrying Toni, his high school sweetheart, with whom he had two children and 43 years of wonderful marriage.

He recounted that a month after Toni retired, the couple had closed on their "dream home" on a picturesque lake in June 2017. Sadly, Toni soon fell ill with a bacterial illness that affected her liver and kidneys, and in July of that year, she died suddenly.

How does Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner imagine his future wife?

During the moving video clip, Gerry remarked, "No one's ever going to replace Toni. But the love of my daughters and my granddaughters pulled me out of a dark spot."

Gerry was shown playing pickleball, drinking with pals at a pub, and practicing handing out flowers with his family in the episode.

"I want to fall in love," he said further. "I really want to find my person who can put me in my place when I need it and make me smile at it. The person who can lay down beside you at night, not have to say anything, and you feel it. That’s love. That’s what I want, and I know that person’s out there."

"I don't think that's what I'm looking for," Gerry said of finding a love like that twice in a lifetime.

"What I look for at the age of 70 is different from what I looked for in high school and college. So, I believe I’ll find my person — the new person that will make me whole again. And I think we’ll knit a wonderful relationship. But I don’t think it’ll look like the relationship I had with Toni. And I don’t think it would be right to do it that way," he added.

Who is Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner?

Gerry, a retired restaurateur who resides in an Indiana lake property, is characterized as a pleasant 71-year-old grandfather.

He has two children called Angie and Jenny, as well as two granddaughters named Charlee and Payton, who urged him to apply for the 'The Bachelor' franchise spin-off.