The late Alan Thicke was a TV icon, but to ex-wife Gloria Loring, his stand-out role will always be as a devoted family man.
In an interview People, Loring opened up about her life with Thicke, who died at age 69 on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack while playing hockey.
Despite being “very busy” with his career during their marriage, Loring said the “Growing Pains” star remained committed to their two sons, Brennan, 41, and Robin, 39.
“He loved to play with them,” the 70-year-old actress told People. “But at one point he was doing three different shows in three different cities and I remember saying to him, ‘This can’t go much longer because you’re away much to much.’”
“But he was building a career and he was somebody who always loved to work,” she continued. “He loved the creative part of it. At the same time he was very devoted to family.”
Loring, who married Thicke in 1970 and separated from him in 1984, also reminisced about the sweet way the Canadian-born actor talked her into dating him:
I think the first thing that appealed to me is – he called me on the phone and said, ‘Hi, this is Alan Thicke from the CBC and I was about to say, ‘Oh well let me give you my manager’s number,’ thinking it was about an interview. He said, ‘No, I wanted to know if you’d like to go to dinner.’ And I was going to say, ‘Oh no thank you,’ but then he continued and said, ‘with my family.’ He invited me to his family’s home in Brampton, Ontario. I went there — at the time I was a vegetarian, so they cooked a fish dinner for me. We had so much fun!
Post-divorce, the “Days of Our Lives” actress remained close to her ex and bonded over their “commitment to our children.”
Thicke married twice after their divorce: His second marriage, to model Gina Tolleson, ended after five years in 1999. He married his third wife, model Tanya Callau, in May 2005.
On Tuesday, Robin Thicke reflected on his father’s death in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, calling the actor “the greatest man I ever met.”
“The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure,” the “Blurred Lines” singer said. “I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him.”
