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Chuck Woolery has passed away at the age of 83, confirmed by his longtime friend Mark Young.
Born on March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery was best known for hosting iconic television game shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Love Connection, and Lingo. Later in his life, he became the host of a popular right-wing podcast where he shared conservative views and criticized liberal values and the Democratic Party. Woolery co-hosted the podcast Blunt Force Truth alongside Young.
While details about his personal life are limited, you can find out more about his children and marriages below.
Katherine and Chad
Woolery and his first wife, Margaret Hayes, had two children—Katherine and Chad—during their marriage from 1961 to 1971. Hayes passed away at 63 in 1977.
Tragically, both of his children had preceded him in death. Chad died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 in 1986, as reported by The Orlando Sentinel. In 1997, Chuck reflected on his son’s passing, telling PEOPLE: “He liked to sing and play the guitar. He wanted to be an actor. He loved girls and all sports. He loved me, and I loved him. When Chad died, I was crushed. Something died with me that could never be replaced.”
Young, when confirming the death of his friend, mentioned that his daughter Katherine had also passed away.
Some outlets have referenced a third child, Cary Woolery, from his marriage to Hayes, but this is likely a mistake in the reporting.
Melissa
After his first divorce, Woolery married actress Jo Ann Pflug, and the couple were together from 1972 to 1980, according to PEOPLE. During their marriage, they had a daughter, Melissa.
Michael and Sean
After his marriage to Pflug, Woolery married Teri Nelson in 1985, and the couple remained together until 2004, according to PEOPLE.
After having his third child, Woolery revealed that he had previously undergone a vasectomy but had it reversed when Nelson expressed a desire for more children. While he was open to having more kids, he admitted his fear of having another son, saying to the outlet, “I would be so scared something’s going to happen to him.”
They had two sons together—Michael and Sean.
Michael has shared posts on Facebook, including one about his father’s first Emmy award. Sean is based in Utah, according to his Facebook profile.
Marriage to Kristen Barnes
Woolery married Kristen Barnes in 2006, though the couple did not have any children together.
Reports indicate that Barnes was with her husband at the time of his passing. According to TMZ, Woolery was with his wife at their Texas home when he died in November. Barnes had noticed that he wasn’t feeling well, and after he went to lie down, she checked on him later. At that point, he was having trouble breathing and passed away shortly thereafter.
