Barbara Rickles: What happened to Don Rickles' wife?

Barbara Rickles was the wife of Don Rickles. Barbara Rickles’ husband Don was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He gained a reputation among fans, especially for his insult comedy. His film roles included Run Silent, Run Deep with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner’s Enter Laughing, Clint Eastwood’s Kelly’s Heroes, and Martin Scorsese’s Casino with Robert De Niro.

Barbara Rickles: Bio Summary

NameBarbara Rickles
Famous aswife of Don Rickles
Date of BirthSeptember 2, 1936
Birthplace Pennsylvania, in the United States of America
Age at time of death84 years old
Date of deathMarch 14, 2021
place of death Los Angeles, California, United States of America
EthnicityCaucasian
NationalityAmerican
Zodiac SignVirgos
Children Mindy Rickles, Larry Rickles

Who is Don Rickles’s wife Barbara?

Barbara Rickles is an American woman and is also popular among fans as the wife of the late iconic comedian, Don Rickles. Barbara was born on September 2, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America as Barbara Sklar. Sadly Barbara passed away at the age of 81. What happened to Don Rickles’ wife, how did she die?

First of all, how did Don Rickles and his wife Barbara meet, fall in love, and started their relationship that ended after almost 6 decades of marriage? A native of Philadelphia, Barbara Rickles (Barbara Sklar) and her future husband met through the comedian’s film agent, for whom she worked briefly. The two became friends and went on a couple of dates before taking things to the next step.

Barbara Rickles later became an actress for a short while and gained some credits on films and TV shows she featured in. These include Kathy Griffin: My life of the D and George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business. She was a producer, known for Don Rickles Live in Concert, This Is Your Life, and Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.

Barbara Rickles and her husband, Don Rickles married on March 14, 1965, in a beautiful wedding ceremony in the presence of their loved ones. Their marriage was also blessed with two children — the actor-comedian Mindy Rickles and screenwriter-producer Larry Rickles, who died in 2011.

By many accounts, this husband and wife had one of the happiest marriages in show business even though they had their own private ups and downs moment, right up to his death in 2017. They have been spotted often socializing with another enduring Hollywood couple, Bob Newhart and Ginny Newhart. Barbara’s husband sadly died in April 2017 of kidney failure at the age of 90.

ALSO, READ; Ginny Newhart: Everything About Bob Newhart’s wife

What happened to Don Rickles’ wife, how did she die?

Barbara Rickles, the widow of Don Rickles and a fictionalized target of his comic insults, sadly passed away on what would have been their 56th wedding anniversary. The death of Don Rickles’ wife Babara Rickles was a shock to her family and fans all around the world. According to her spokesman, Paul Shefrin, she passed away of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer that occurs in the lymphatic system of an individual.

“They were incredibly devoted to each other. She was the perfect woman for Don and vice-versa,” Shefrin took to his Facebook page and wrote. In an email Monday to The Associated Press, he wrote that she knew his “take my wife” jokes “were part of the act.”

Don Rickles’ wife, Barbara Rickles would help produce the Emmy-winning documentary “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” which came out in 2007, and the 2020 release “Don Rickles Live In Concert.” Don Rickles, in serious moments, would note that he was nearly 40 on his wedding day and had struggled for years to find someone.

“I advise any young person that gets married, really, work at it. If you work at it, it’s delightful,” he said in 1986, during one of his many appearances on the “Tonight” show with Johnny Carson, whom he would tease endlessly about his multiple marriages. 

When in his better known “Mr. Warmth” persona, Barbara Rickles’ husband told a different story. For decades, he cracked jokes about his wife’s looks, about their sex life, about her alleged love of jewelry. When he appeared with Frank Sinatra on the “Tonight” show in 1976, he begged the singer to set him up with someone.

ALSO, READ; Marcia Harvey, Steve Harvey’s ex-wife

“I need a girl so bad,” Rickles said in mock despair. “I love my wife, but she’s ill.” Near the end of his life, he was filmed reminiscing with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, with whom he worked in the 1995 film “Casino.” The conversation turned to marriage. 

“You’re married again, right? You’re happy?” Rickles said to Scorsese. “Yeah, been married 20 years,” Scorsese said. “I’m married to Barbara — which is a mistake,” Rickles responded. “Nah, that’s a joke. She’ll hear it and say, ‘That’s not funny.'”

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