Golden Bachelor says first wife hid proof of her disease in a drawer before sudden death

by

Gerry Turner, the star of The Golden Bachelor, recently shared the painful experience of realizing his late wife, Toni, might have lived if she had received different medical care.

In his new book, “Golden Years,” 74-year-old reality star reveals that his wife, Toni, who passed away in 2017 at age 64, had kept her type 2 diabetes diagnosis and treatment private from both him and their daughters.

After she passed away, Turner ‘started to go through’ Toni’s things and what he found shocked him.

Turner said he discovered she’d been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes hidden in the back of a bathroom drawer – a clear indication she hadn’t wanted anyone to find out.

They found books, medications, a blood sugar monitor, and other medical items, all of which seemed brand new and never used.

He said she hadn’t told him or her daughters about the serious diagnosis, and it seemed she hadn’t sought any treatment for it either.

Discovering this was upsetting, and Turner began to wonder what might have happened if she’d shared what she was going through with someone.

‘Untreated or unmanaged diabetes stresses the body, particularly the kidneys,’ he noted.

If only Toni had lived longer, but was her refusal to complain ultimately what harmed her? Did I play a role in creating that attitude? And why didn’t she feel she could tell me about her diabetes?

He went on to say that losing anyone you care about is always difficult, but it’s even more heartbreaking to imagine that there might have been a chance—even a small one—for them to have lived longer or survived.

Turner and Toni started dating in high school after Turner invited her to a dance at the YMCA.

The couple married in 1972 and had two daughters, Jenny and Angie. They stayed together until her passing in the summer of 2017, which happened just weeks after they’d finally purchased their dream retirement home on a lake in Indiana.

It’s obvious the grandfather is deeply upset that Toni didn’t feel comfortable sharing what was really going on with her.

Turner once shared with People that what really upset him was how she’d spent her life working towards a relaxing retirement filled with enjoyment, only to have that taken away from her.

In 2023, the retired restaurateur went on to become ABC’s first Golden Bachelor looking for love.

In January 2024, Gerry Turner married Theresa Nist, a financial services professional from New Jersey, in a televised wedding ceremony. The ceremony was officiated by Susan Noles, a popular contestant from the show The Golden Bachelor.

The couple ended their marriage after only three months, following a diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a slow-growing and incurable bone marrow cancer, for Turner.

He believes it’s the right moment to address what happened earlier this year, from February to April, and finally explain some long-standing questions, as he told People magazine.

Theresa and I were figuring out our lives – where we’d live and how we’d build a future together – when I received a cancer diagnosis.

There’s no way to fix this, which affects everything I do. It felt like a huge weight had fallen on me, and for a long time, I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a cancer that starts in white blood cells, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. It’s a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Though the disease can occur at any age, it most often occurs in adults 70 and older.

According to the American Cancer Society, around 78% of people with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) live for at least 5 years after diagnosis, and about 64% live for at least 10 years.

Turner said Nist was ‘understandably awestruck’ when he shared the devastating news.

His health diagnosis contributed to their breakup, and the distance between them – he lives in Indiana and she’s in New Jersey – made things even harder.

Turner told People he really wanted things to feel as normal as possible, which meant prioritizing time with his family – his two daughters, their husbands, and his granddaughters. While still important, figuring things out with Theresa took a backseat to that.

Nist has a son, daughter, and six grandsons.

Turner and Nist initially announced news of their split on Good Morning America in April.

After a lot of honest conversations and careful consideration, Theresa and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage. It wasn’t an easy choice, but we both feel it’s the right path forward for us. We’ve really taken a good look at everything, and we’ve come to this mutual understanding that it’s time to move on.

What’s really stood out to me in our talks is how much we both value and prioritize our families.

In December 2024, Turner discussed his cancer journey on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast.

‘I feel great,’ he told hosts Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt.

Since I don’t have any symptoms yet, there’s no treatment needed. That’s why I get regular blood tests – about every six months now. I’m actually feeling hopeful because my doctor mentioned we’ll switch to tests every three months when I turn 75, which suggests he expects me to live for a few more years. Overall, I’m feeling very well.

Turner recently married retired teacher Lana Sutton after announcing their engagement in October. 

Read More

2025-11-29 20:49