Burt Reynolds has passed away at the age of 82. He had two ex-wives, an adopted son that he loved like crazy, and he was close with his parents. Read on to learn more about Reynolds’ family.
1. Burt Reynolds’ Father Was Drafted Into the Army & Was the Chief of Police
Burt Reynolds was born in 1936 to his mom, Fern H. Miller Reynolds, and his dad, Burton Milo Reynolds. Fern passed away in 1992 and Burton died in 2002.
Burton was drafted into the Army while Burt and his family lived in Lansing, Michigan. After his father was drafted, he and his mom and sister moved to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to be near Burton. They moved to Lake City, Michigan, after Burton was sent to Europe. Burt’s father was a lieutenant and earned numerous medals for his role in the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge, The Guardian reported. He was a colonel when he left the Army. Burt said his mother was tired of his dad being in the military and said if he stayed on to become a general, they wouldn’t still be married. But, he added, she handled his deployments overseas with grace and humor.
In 1946, the family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, where Burton was Chief of Police.
Burt saw his dad as his hero, The Guardian reported. His dad had always hoped his son would get over the acting bug, however. “I felt that no amount of success would make me a man in his eyes,” Burt said about his dad. He said that his dad would do anything to put food on the table, even during the Great Depression.
Burton’s mom died in her sleep at the age of 90. His dad died 10 years later at the age of 95. “He never said he loved me, but he did finally say that he was proud of me, and that we enough,” he told The Guardian.
2. Burt Reynolds’ Sister, Nancy Brown, Died from Alzheimer’s in 2011
Burt Reynolds’ sister, Nancy Brown, lived to be 81. She passed away on March 23, 2011 of Alzheimer’s, Express reported. Although Reynolds and Loni Anderson were already divorced when his sister died, he turned to her for comfort because he took his sister’s death very hard.
Burt said that his sister was a lot like his mother, quiet and strong, The Guardian reported.
3. Burt Reynolds Has One Child, His Adopted Son Quinton
Reynolds only has one son, his adopted son Quinton. He and his second wife, Loni Anderson, adopted Quinton together. In July Reynolds told Closer about his son: “He is my greatest achievement. He’s a wonderful young man and is now working as a camera assistant in Hollywood. He never asked for any help with his career, he did it all himself, and I’m so proud of him. I love him very much.”
Reynolds was 52 when he adopted Quinton. When he divorced, he lost custody of Quinton, he told The Guardian.
4. Reynolds Was Married to Judy Carne in the 1960s
Burt Reynolds was married twice. He and his first wife, Judy Carne, were married from 1963 to 1965. After they divorced, Carne was married to Robert Bergmann from 1970 to 1971. Carne struggled with heroin addiction, and later revealed that she was bisexual in her book “The Bittersweet Saga of the Sock-It-To-Me Girl.” She died of pneumonia in 2015.
5. Reynolds & Loni Anderson Were Married in the 1980s and Early 1990s
Reynolds and Loni Anderson were married from 1988 to 1993. Burt and Loni adopted Quinton together while they were married. Quinton went through a tough time when his parents divorced, but they were able to work through those difficulties. He and Anderson wanted to have their own biological child, but never did.
READ NEXT: Burt Reynolds’ second wife Loni Anderson was married four times and has a daughter with MS.
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Burt Reynolds’ Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know