Henry Winkler’s ‘not proud’ of not being there for his loving wife’s chemo but happy to have big family

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Henry Winkler has ruled over the screen and people’s hearts for years.

But the veteran actor also has a big family with whom he shares a warm relationship. Winkler has been a married man for over four decades.

Who is Henry Winkler’s wife?

The ‘Happy Days’ star met his now-wife Stacey Weitzman in 1976.

About their initial meeting, Winkler told PEOPLE, “She was wearing purple parachute pants and she had red hair and without her even saying a word, I thought, ‘Woah, beautiful woman standing in front of me’.”

He continued, “I came back to the store the next week and was there. And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is.

“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!’ But then she changed her mind and we went across the street and had ginger ales,” the comedian added.

The two said “I do” to each other in 1978. At the time, Stacey was already the mother of a boy named Jed Weitzman from her earlier marriage.

Later, the newlywed couple became parents of two more children — Max Winkler and Zoe Emily Winkler.

Henry Winkler and Stacey Weitzman did not leave each other’s side despite challenges

When Winkler met Stacey he was already an established actor. He was popular at the time because of ‘Happy Days’. 

However, after the sitcom ended in 1984, Winkler faced challenges since everyone saw him only as Arthur Fonzarelli or Fonzie from the show.

He reportedly shared, “After Happy Days, I struggled with being locked out of opportunity.”

He also shared, “I knew it was necessary to figure out something else because I was completely stymied. I couldn’t just sit there. I had a family, and I am a doer.”

But after taking advice from his lawyer, ‘The Waterboy’ actor launched a production company, and eventually his professional life came back on track.

Winkler’s personal life, however, went upside down when Stacey got breast cancer in the early 2000s.

Though the ‘Click’ actor was available for his wife, he’s not happy with his presence.

“I went to her chemotherapy infusions, but my support consisted of falling asleep in the chair. I was not there. I’m not proud of that,” he claimed.

But despite all these, the couple has continued to be each other’s rock.

Henry Winkler and Stacey Weitzman’s lives now

Stacey once reportedly said, “The most wonderful thing is to really be able to grow with someone. We’re not the same people we were when we got married. But certain of the tenets you hold dear are still intact.”

“It does take work. There are glitches in the road, and you get a little off kilter, but if you have the ability and the stick-to-itiveness based on love, then your friendship and your relationship only gets better,” she added.

The lovely couple is now grandparents to adorable grandchildren. Winkler revealed, “We enjoy fly fishing together. We enjoy grandchildren together."

“We enjoy going to the movies together. We truly enjoy each other every day,” the actor added.

About his grandchildren, the actor shared, “My favorite part is watching them. And 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!”

Winkler added, “I’m thrilled to be on this earth, I’m thrilled with my family and I’m thrilled to be doing great work.”