"If you have the ability and the stick-to-itiveness based on love, then your friendship and your relationship only get better," Stacey shared.
After more than four decades of marriage, Henry Winkler shared the key to keeping his wife, Stacey Winkler, happy. The Happy Days star, 77, told Us Weekly in an exclusive interview that in addition to the mind and the heart, there's another thing essential for a fulfilling relationship. “It is the ear,” he shared. “It is being able to listen.”
After they first met in a Los Angeles clothing store, she instantly caught his eye. “I came back to the store the next week and she was there. And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is,” he shared with PEOPLE.
After meeting over ginger ales, the two became friends. Two years later, the Scream actor and Stacey got married. Stacey shared, “People would rush up to Henry and literally walk over my feet. One time I said, 'You've just completely ruined my stockings.' And this woman said, 'But I love Fonzie!'”
Later, the couple welcomed their son, Max, now 39, and daughter Zoe, who is now 43. In addition, Winkler is the stepfather to his wife's 52-year-old son Jed from her former relationship with the late Howard Weitzman.
In an August 2019 interview with PEOPLE, Stacey shared the secret to her long-lasting union with Winkler: developing together. "We're not the same people we are when we got married. But certain of the tenets you hold dear are still intact," she said.
Stacey continued, saying that while following such advice could occasionally be easier said than done, the payoff is always worthwhile. She stated that sustained love requires 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 get better."
Henry Winkler has been married to Stacey Weitzman for 45 years and exclusively gave Us the secret to their lasting love:https://t.co/bR9utlnIdH
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) April 22, 2023
The Parks and Recreation alum's family has grown recently; there are now a total of six grandchildren. “It is such a wonderful experience to be with them,” he gushed. “We watch the sports, watch our granddaughters dance, watch my little granddaughter walk the dog around the house. She’s gonna open a dog-walking business pretty soon.”
Being able to indulge the young ones by taking them out to eat and to shows is one of Winkler's favorite aspects of being a grandfather. “We just saw The Lion King altogether,” he told Us.
The Barry actor does, however, receive some unique requests for souvenirs whenever he travels for business. “My oldest grandson, Ace, he’s 11 — and whenever I travel — in the last few months since January, I’ve been in seven or eight cities — I always bring back a shot glass,” the Emmy winner noted. “He has on his shelf all of the shot glasses from wherever Stacey and I go.” Winkler made fun of his middle grandson Jules, saying, “He just gets snow globes.”
References:
https://people.com/tv/who-is-stacey-weitzman-henry-winkler-wife/
https://people.com/tv/henry-winkler-shares-secrets-marriage-wife-stacey/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Jason Kempin
