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Wink Martindale family: All on the game show host's wife, Sandy Ferra, and their children
Wink Martindale, a beloved TV host, died at 91 in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by his family and wife, Sandra.
Wink Martindale, a longtime TV host, passed away on Sunday at the age of 91 in Rancho Mirage, California.
A family spokesperson shared the news, noting that Martindale was “surrounded by family and his beloved wife of 49 years, Sandra Martindale,” per Deadline. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Martindale leaves behind a large and loving family: his wife Sandra, his sister Geraldine, his daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Deadline reported that he is also remembered by an “honorary son” named Eric.
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Sandy stood by the actor through nearly five decades of love, laughter, and life in the spotlight.
Who is Sandy Ferra? Wink Martindale's better half
Sandy Ferra was a dancer and entertainer who even dated Elvis Presley as a teenager before meeting Wink. Their shared connection to music was something special; as Wink’s career skyrocketed, Sandy remained his biggest cheerleader, always by his side, whether he was hosting a hit game show or recording his chart-topping spoken-word piece, ‘Deck of Cards.’
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“A good host is a person who loves people,” Martindale said once during an interview with the Television Academy Foundation.
“If you’re a people person, you’re naturally going to be attracted to contestants, and it’s easy for you to be able to interact with those people.”
Martindale was born on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee. He kicked off his broadcasting journey as a teenage disc jockey at just 17. His career soon took him to Memphis’ WHBQ, where he became part of rock 'n' roll history.
The veteran TV host became a hit with the spoken-word song 'Deck of Cards' in 1959, which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and was sold in excess of 1 million copies.
