Bob Newhart, who died July 18 at the age of 94, was willing to prioritize being a father to his four children over his illustrious career ambitions as a comedian and actor.
In a 2021 interview with Forbes, he recalled how having children influenced his decision to set aside his 12-year run as a stand-up comedian and ultimately star on “The Bob Newhart Show.”
“I was really happy just doing stand-up, but it’s a tough life for marriage and if you have kids,” he explained. “I was offered to do a sitcom, and it would get me off the road, and that was important to me at the time.”
The late actor’s children confirmed the news of his death with a Facebook post Thursday. They thanked his fans and followers for their well wishes before adding that he was “deeply loved by all, but especially by his children and grandchildren.”
Read on for more about the late actor’s children.
Robert William Newhart
The couple welcomed their first child, Robert Newhart, named after his famous father. While he has largely remained out of the public eye, he did appear as his father in the 1993 film “Heart and Souls,” according to IMDB.
Timothy Newhart
Bob and Ginnie Newhart welcomed a second son, Timothy Newhart.
According to LinkedIn and Harvard-Westlake School’s teacher page, Timothy has been a history and social studies teacher in Los Angeles for nearly 29 years.
Jennifer Newhart
Jennifer is the late actor’s third child and first daughter.
Her Facebook page shows she is a passionate owner of Wantz & Kneads, a bakery based in Northridge, California.
Courtney Newhart
The couple’s last child is Courtney Newhart. Her 2000 graduation from Santa Clara University also stands out as her famous father received an honorary degree from the university and had the chance to award her her bachelor’s degree, according to The Santa Clara news site.
Like her siblings, Courtney keeps a largely private profile on social media platforms, though in 2014, she celebrated her father’s birthday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Happy 85th Birthday to the Best Dad/Poppie we could ever ask for!! @BobNewhart,” she wrote at the time with a post featuring his grandchildren.
That same year, she posed alongside her father on the red carpet for the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
How many grandchildren does Bob Newhart have?
Bob Newhart had at least 10 grandchildren, according to a 2010 article by Los Angeles Times.
In the thank you section of his 2006 memoir “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This!” the late actor thanked seven of his grandchildren, Taylor, Maddie, Bella, Will Caroline, Timothy and Griffin, for “all the joy and laughter they give.”
