Marty Ingels, Actor And Comedian Dies From Stroke At 79; Wife Shirley Jones: ‘Love Him To My Core’

Marty Ingels, the actor and comedian, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles from a massive stroke, reports Variety. One of Ingels’ claims to fame was as the character Arch Fenster in the comedy, I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster. Ingels has made a long list of appearances in other shows, ranging from 70s hit The Love Boat to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Ingels was married to Shirley Jones, the iconic American actress, perhaps best known as Shirley Partridge in The Partridge Family, as reported by IMDB, for close to forty years.

“He often drove me crazy, but there’s not a day I won’t miss him and love him to my core,” Jones was quoted with regard to her late husband. Ingels and Jones often attended theatrical productions and other events together. Getty Images is filled with photos of the couple walking red carpets, arm-in-arm, often with Ingels’ eyes gazing over Jones with admiration. The couple clearly adored one another.

I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster revolved around two carpenters, one who was a worldly “playboy” and another who was married. The show was reported to have lasted for two seasons, with 32 episodes being produced. John Astin played alongside Ingels as Harry Dickens.

The 85-year-old Astin continues to remain active as an actor, and has recently appeared in Starship II: Rendezvous with Ramses as Professor Peabody, which is in post production, according to IMDb.

Marty Ingels was reported to have served time in the U.S. military before taking up acting with the Pasadena Playhouse. Later in his life he became an accomplished voice over actor and voiced cartoon characters and commercials. In Autocat and Motormouse, Ingels starred as Autocat. He is also appeared in The Tom & Jerry Show and The Great Ape Show as Beegle Beagle.

During this period Marty Ingels was said to have served as a business agent for entertainers, such as Cary Grant, Orson Welles, and John Wayne. Ingels appears to have been well-liked by a wide circle of friends in the entertainment industry. Ingels is reported to be responsible for Orson Welles appearing in commercials for Paul Masson Wines, reports IMDb.

Interestingly, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels were, more or less, introduced by the late Michael Landon of Little House on the Prairie fame; they met at a party at the actor’s home.

“I was a Jewish kid from Brooklyn and she was Miss America. A lot of people never got that,” Ingels was quoted about his relationship with Shirley Jones. Ingels’ birth name was Martin Ingerman; like so many entertainers, he decided to adopt a stage name, according to the Film Reference Database.

Other television shows Marty Ingels appeared in included ER, Murder She Wrote, Baywatch, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Phyllis Diller Show, according to IMDb.

Ingels appeared in a long list of films, including The Horizontal Lieutenant, The Busy Body, The Picasso Summer, Linda Lovelace for President, and A Strange Brand of Happy. Ingels even appeared in a 1997 video game as the “Voice of Griff” in Zork: Grand Inquisitor. The same year, Ingels narrated a reading of Shawn Levy’s King of Comedy.

The actor leaves behind a niece, Lauren Ingerman, 12 grandchildren, and three step sons, Ryan, Shaun, and Patrick Cassidy; Shirley Jones’ children from a previous marriage.

In 1990, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels co-authored an autobiography about their marriage, Shirley & Marty: An Unlikely Love Story. In an industry known for short-lived marriages, their story certainly is a remarkable exception. It appears that Ingels’ presence will be sorely missed in the entertainment industry, where he has been so active.

[Feature Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for The Pantages Theatre]