After Four Decades Together, Henry Winkler And His Wife Share Big Secret

And no doubt plenty of other celebrity couples were paying attention. Whereas many Hollywood pairings end up in the divorce courts quicker than you can say “prenup,” Henry and Stacey have been able to celebrate their ruby wedding anniversary. Yes, they walked down the aisle way back in 1978!

But while they seem to have one of the strongest relationships in Tinseltown, Henry and Stacey don’t appear to like bragging about it. In fact, they’ve both kept pretty schtum regarding their long-lasting marriage over the last four decades. Occasionally, though, they’ve let the public in on what makes them tick.

Take their first interview with People back in 2001, for example. Stacey was more than happy to discuss just what it was like being married to a TV star at the peak of his popularity. Back in the late 1970s, of course, Happy Days was one of the most-watched shows on the box. And Stacey was always reminded of this fact whenever she stepped out in public with Henry.

“People would rush up to Henry and literally walk over my feet,” Stacey recalled. “One time I said, ‘You’ve just completely ruined my stockings.’ And this woman said, ‘But I love Fonzie!’” The Los Angeles native also spoke about how her partner’s fame changed his relationship with his parents.

“Henry spoke about how difficult his childhood was,” a candid Stacey told the magazine. “His parents told him he was stupid and he didn’t make the grade, so there was a lot of arguing.” But when the actor made it big on Happy Days, his mother and father’s attitudes altered. Stacey added, “They were signing autographs at airports.”

You might not know, though, that Stacey had walked down the aisle before getting hitched to TV’s most famous leather-jacketed lothario. Yes, she was previously wed to Edward Furstman, a dentist she’d met while studying at UCLA. The couple tied the knot in 1969 but split up seven years later.

So what about Stacey’s career? Well, after college she founded a PR company that dealt mainly with fashion clients. These included clothing firm Jag, retail magnate Jerry Magnin, and jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels. And Stacey’s successful business endeavors ended up playing a vital part in her love story with Winkler.

That’s right: Stacey was visiting one of her company’s clients, a clothes shop in Los Angeles, when Winkler stopped by to purchase a jacket. At this point, Happy Days had been on our screens for a couple of years. And Stacey was immediately bowled over by the famous face who walked through the door.

After Henry asked Stacey for some sartorial advice, the pair soon struck up a natural rapport. And a week later the former proved he was just as smooth with the ladies as his most famous character when he invited Stacey on a date. She said yes, and within a couple of years the pair had become husband and wife.

The happy couple exchanged their vows at a synagogue in Manhattan. This was the same place that Henry had enjoyed his bar mitzvah as a teen. And pretty soon the pair were welcoming their first child together. Zoe Winkler was born in 1981, while their son, Max, arrived three years later. Stacey also had a child, Jed, from her first marriage.

And Henry appeared to be the perfect father figure. Speaking to People in 2001, Stacey recalled how her husband would attend every single parent-teacher association event. Daughter Zoe then added, “Dad took me to school every day of my life until I was 16 and got my license.”

In a 2003 interview with the Daily Mirror, Henry spoke about how Zoe, Max, and Jed dealt with his fame. He explained, “The kids handle it really well. But to them, I’m just dad. They sometimes found it difficult to equate me with The Fonz. When they were younger, I was the disciplinarian who gave them chores and enforced rules.”

Zoe went on to work as a teacher at a nursery, and in 2009 she got hitched to Robert Reinis. The New York Times reported that both her parents had subjected her husband to quite an interrogation to assess his suitability. “What makes you think you’re ready for a commitment now?” and “How are you going to take care of our daughter?” were just two of the many questions posed.

Thankfully for the future bride and groom, Robert passed the test. In fact, Stacey ended up standing outside of Zoe’s home on the day he asked the big question so that she could join in with the celebrations. And the Winklers even held the wedding ceremony in their own garden!

While Zoe’s given the Hollywood life a wide berth, the Winklers’ two other children have decided to embrace it. Max has directed episodes of the likes of Fresh Off the Boat, New Girl, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And Jed’s pursued a career as a talent manager after completing a degree at Georgetown University.

You might not be aware that Henry isn’t the only actor in his marriage, either. Yes, Stacey’s also appeared onscreen as a resident of a shelter in a 2005 film titled The Touch. And she lent her voice to a character named Muffin in an episode of animated TV series As Told By Ginger.

Sadly, though, Stacey’s only acting credits came in between two major battles with illness. She discovered that she had breast cancer at the turn of the century but thankfully went into remission. Then in 2007, Stacey learned that the disease had come back. She subsequently underwent a double mastectomy and now has a clean bill of health.

Stacey getting the vital all-clear meant that she was able to return to her second career. The UCLA graduate landed a major role in Los Angeles’ Department of Children’s Services after leaving the world of public relations behind. Her main duty has been to help improve living conditions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

You won’t be surprised to learn that Henry was by Stacey’s side throughout both of her major health ordeals. In 2003 he told the Daily Mirror how scary her first brush with cancer had been. He explained, “When something like that happens, it can really knock you back. It came out of the blue. Thankfully, I’ve always been a positive thinker, but it is frightening when you encounter something over which you have no control.”

“It has taken her some time to regain her strength, but she is getting there. It’s been amazing because we have drawn on a power we didn’t know we had,” Henry added. “We’ve always been close, but this experience has brought us closer.”

Henry also acknowledged that Stacey had been forced to deal with a lot from the moment they first got together. He said, “I’m full of admiration for her. We met when she worked in fashion, and I’d been on Happy Days for a year. It is hard to live in the shadow of a famous person. People would trample her to get my autograph. They’d treat her like a ghost. But she put up with it all with good grace.”

Stacey later returned the compliments when asked about her relationship in 2019. The UCLA graduate told Jenny McCarthy during a red carpet interview that she was “the luckiest” when it came to her marriage. And as with their shared interview with People that same year, Stacey also offered a secret or two to their long-lasting success.

A willingness to commit is one of the most important things in a marriage, Stacey told the host. She also joked that while Henry believes communication is also key, she feels it’s more about “stubborn staying.” Her husband then chipped in to add that “saying yes” is another vital part of their marriage.

Several years earlier Henry had given Parade magazine a different answer when asked about the foundations of his successful marriage. He replied, “I have to tell you something. I truly believe the ear is the center of all relationships. It’s not the heart, it’s not the mind, it’s the ear. Listening is the beginning and the end.”

Henry and Stacey certainly appeared to be embracing their candid side in 2019. As well as dishing details about their marriage on the red carpet, they also gave a tell-all interview to People magazine. And Henry revealed that a pair of purple parachute pants were integral to their origin story!

Yes, those pants were part of Stacey’s outfit the moment that Henry first laid eyes on his future wife back in the mid-1970s. And along with her striking red hair, they immediately caught his attention. The Barry actor recalled, “Without her even saying a word, I thought, ‘Woah, beautiful woman standing in front of me.’”

Henry waited until he returned to the Los Angeles clothes shop a few days later to ask her out. But Stacey proved to be a bit of a tougher cookie to crumble than he may have expected. The star revealed, “I said, ‘Would you like to go for a soda? I just have to make a quick stop to buy a wedding gift.’ And she said, ‘I am not a gift service!’”

Thankfully, Stacey dropped the hard-to-get act and agreed to go for a soda with the pin-up. And their first date obviously went extremely well. Because not long afterward, Henry asked Stacey and her son, Jed – then only four years old – to move in with him!

And the happy couple have barely left each other’s sides since. So how do Henry and Stacey manage to keep things so fresh after all these years together? Well, in their joint interview with People, they both recognized that the ability to adapt is instrumental to a long-lasting marriage.

Stacey stated, “The most wonderful thing is to really be able to grow with someone. We’re not the same people we are when we got married. But certain of the tenets you hold dear are still intact.” Of course, growing with someone can be a lot easier said than done.

Sure, the Winklers may appear to have a picture-perfect relationship. But they’ve still had to work hard to make it to the ruby anniversary stage. “There are glitches in the road, and you get a little off-kilter,” Stacey revealed. “But if you have the ability and the stick-to-itiveness based on love, then your friendship and your relationship only gets better.”

And a willingness to evolve isn’t the only major factor in the Winklers’ long-lasting marriage. Henry also stated that the pair still make sure to spend plenty of quality time with each other. “We enjoy fly fishing together. We enjoy grandchildren together,” he explained. “We enjoy going to the movies together. We truly enjoy each other every day.”

Henry and Stacey certainly have plenty of grandchildren to keep them busy, too. Yes, Zoe, Max, and Jed may have all now flown the nest. But with no fewer than five kids between them, they’re still keeping mom and pop on their toes. Thankfully, the Winklers love playing grandma and granddad.

Stacey went on to tell People, “As a grandparent, you always have a fall guy. ‘You want a hot fudge sundae? Let’s call Mom!’ But they work us so hard!” Henry also appears to be living his best life as a grandpa of five, adding, “My favorite part is watching them.”

In a previous Parade interview, Winkler recounted an adorable story about one particular grandkid. The actor recalled, “My wife and I babysat our four-year-old grandson, who is allowed to watch one show before he goes to bed. He has Happy Days on his DVR. He turned to me, he said, ‘That’s you. Your hair was different. You were skinnier then.’”

Concluding his chat with People, a very content Henry said, “I’m thrilled to be on this Earth, I’m thrilled with my family, and I’m thrilled to be doing great work.” Many critics would certainly agree with the latter, too. Henry picked up the first primetime Emmy of his career in 2018 for his performance in HBO comedy Barry.

To no one’s surprise, Stacey was also by his side as he graced the awards show’s red carpet. Website Yahoo! Life commented that the pair “still look as adorable and in love now as they were in the ’70s.” Henry joked that he’d actually written his speech decades ago, which explains why he told a very grown-up Zoe and Max to go to bed.

That night, if you remember, Winkler looked stunned when his name was read out as the winner. He kissed Stacey before approaching Hader and co-creator Alec Berg for a hug. Then the star headed on stage, where he collected his trophy and made a speech that was decades in the making.

“Oh my God,” he said to the crowd, many of whom had given him a standing ovation. “I only have 37 seconds, I wrote this 43 years ago.” Winkler was referring to the fact that it had been over 42 years since he had first been nominated for a Primetime Emmy – and now, he had finally won.

The audience laughed at Winkler’s joke and he then shared a quote from Hollywood attorney Skip Brittenham. “If you stay at the table long enough, the chips come to you,” the lawyer had told him. The star added, “And tonight, I got to clear the table.”

Winkler thanked the people behind Barry for the opportunity. “If you get a chance to work with Bill Hader or Alec Berg, run, don’t walk,” he said. “Thank you for producing us, for creating us, for directing us, and Bill for acting with us.”

Winkler received another standing ovation from the star-studded audience as he left the stage. And in the press room backstage, the actor revealed how much it meant to him to win a Primetime Emmy after all this time. “I was 27 when I started doing ‘The Fonz,’” he said.

And referring to the Emmy statuette, he added, “I’m now 72 and I’m standing right here in front of you with her. Wow.” The actor later expressed his excitement on Twitter and thanked fans for their kind words. “Thank you everyone for your wonderfully warm wishes on my win tonight,” he wrote. “It’s thrilling.”

Viewers were pleased to see the star honored for his talent at the awards ceremony. “They say he’s the nicest guy in Hollywood, so I’m glad he finally won an Emmy,” commented one YouTube user. Another added, “I love how the other nominees all looked genuinely happy that Henry won.”

And other fans stated that Winkler was extremely worthy of the prize, both because of his kind personality and his perseverance. “The Fonz finally won. He should have won years ago, am really happy for him! You finally did it, Fonz!” one wrote. Someone else added, “Couldn’t have gone to a more deserving guy! He’s a treasure!”