Marty Ingels, a raspy-voiced comedian, actor and talent agent who was married to singer and actress Shirley Jones for nearly 40 years, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 79.
Ingels died in the Tarzana neighbourhood following complications from a stroke, according to a statement issued on behalf of Jones by her manager, Milt Suchin.
“He often drove me crazy, but there’s not a day I won’t miss him and love him to my core,” the actress said in the statement.
Ingels was born Martin Ingerman in Brooklyn and later moved to Los Angeles.
Beginning in the 1960s, Ingels appeared in some movies and a number of television show episodes, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Phyllis Diller Show and Bewitched.
He co-starred with John Astin in the 1962-63 TV comedy I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster.
Ingels also did voice work for hundreds of cartoons, commercials and video games. He voiced Pac-Man in the 1982 animated series.
He also ran a talent agency that booked movie stars such as John Wayne and Cary Grant for TV commercials.
In 1974, Ingels met Shirley Jones, co-star of the 1970s TV hit The Partridge Family, at a party at actor Michael Landon’s home.
“He pursued her relentlessly, and many in Jones’ inner circle were initially put off by Ingels’ gruff demeanour and brazen approach,” according to the statement. “As he himself said, ‘I was a Jewish kid from Brooklyn and she was Miss America. A lot of people never got that. But Shirley always did.’
They married in 1977. Their book, Shirley & Marty: An Unlikely Love Story, was published in 1990.
