‘Happy Days’ Anson Williams Welcomed New Grandchild — He Wife Are Proud Grandparents despite Separating

• “Happy Days” actor Anson Williams has five daughters.

• His eldest daughter also gave him four grandchildren.

• Unfortunately, he separated from his second wife, Jackie Gerken.

Anson Williams, who played Warren “Potsie” Weber on the television series “Happy Days,” was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer in 2016. After two surgeries and three weeks in the hospital, the actor was happy to announce that he beat the illness.

The diagnosis shocked the “Happy Days” actor and caused him to reevaluate his life. Although he was always a devoted family man, his priorities and love for his family were reaffirmed after his cancer went into remission.

Donny Most, Ron Howard, Anson Williams in “Happy Days” season 2, 1974 | Source: Getty Images

During his stay at the hospital, Anson tried his best to stay positive and help those around him do the same. He walked around, trying to take the other patients’ minds off their predicaments and relieve their stress. He also said that his own illness was a wake-up call:

“I needed to reprioritize my life. It actually became beneficial for me in that I became so much stronger about what I believe in. I learned to have a deeper appreciation for my family. I always knew I loved them and they were important, but now it’s at a whole new level.”

After his surgery, he learned to enjoy life much more. He started spending more time with his wife of 32 years, Jackie Gerken, and his children. On top of that, he recently decided to run for mayor of Ojai in California.

Anson Williams, wife Jackie Gerken, and daughter Hannah Williams attend the ‘Cop and 1/2 ‘ Universal City Premiere on March 28, 1993 at Cineplex Odeon Universal City 18 Theatres in Universal City, California | Source: Getty Images

The actor shares four daughters with Jackie. The eldest of his children, Hannah Lily Williams, referred to Jackie as the best mom in the world. His three other daughters are younger, and Anson shared that all three are black belts.

Anson’s Four Daughters

Hannah, Anson’s eldest, has been happily married to Matt Graber for nearly a decade. She shares three sons with her spouse, and they recently welcomed a new daughter into the family. They named the little one Leni Jean.

Now, after two marriages, Anson is focusing on his children, Hannah, Olivia, Gabrielle, and Stella.

Before Leni’s birth, Hannah kept her followers up to date on her daughter’s development through intermittent posts. In one, she shared a photo of her with her husband and three sons out in nature. Along with pictures of the family picnic, she hinted at the new daughter’s name.

The newest addition to Anson’s grandchildren was born in October 2022, and the two parents were absolutely thrilled to share the news with their followers on social media. Hannah shared a few posts between September and October with updates surrounding the birth. Right after the birth, she said:

“Our baby girl is here. Came FLYING into the world in one big push with food and snuggles on her mind. Words can’t even describe how much we love her already and how beautiful she is.”

Later, the daughter of the “Happy Days” actor posted another batch of photos introducing the daughter by name for the first time. They showed Leni Jean lying happily on her back, sporting a sweater with her name on it. Hannah captioned the post, explaining that they wanted a unisex-sounding name.

Despite Anson’s growing family and his change of perspective after he survived cancer, he decided to file for divorce in 2020. This was the second time Anson separated, having divorced his first wife, Lorrie Maherty, in 1986.

Anson Decides to Separate from Jackie

Anson and his spouse, Jackie, initially filed for divorce in September 2019. After this, the two decided to give their marriage one more shot, so they managed to dismiss the request. However, their attempts at reconciliation bore no fruit.

In June 2020, the couple was back in court once more, filling in the necessary paperwork. Their latest separation seems to be permanent, though. Anson didn’t give concrete reasons for the split, but he did comment that despite their best efforts to work things out, they had to do what was best for everyone.

After the two split for the first time, they wanted to work things out. However, they didn’t want to confuse or upset their children, so they agreed to remain apart and lead separate lives while trying to work through their differences. Unfortunately, this tactic wasn’t enough to save the marriage.

Before his 32-year union with Jackie, Anson was married to Lorrie. The two married in 1978, and they reportedly also had a child together. During their time together, Lorrie played Jennifer Jerome in “Happy Days.”

“Happy Days” didn’t just allow the actor to build a relationship with Lorrie, it also gave Anson the opportunity to build a successful career. Besides this, the actor said the show also forged strong friendships between the cast.

Anson and Lorrie played two romantically involved characters on-screen, and everything seemed to be going well. That said, their marriage off-screen lasted eight years before they split. After Lorrie, the actor met Jacki, and the two tied the knot.

Now, after two marriages, Anson is focusing on his children, Hannah, Olivia, Gabrielle, and Stella. Anson reportedly hoped to split the legal and physical custody of his three younger daughters. Seeing as Hanna was already an adult at the time, she didn’t feature in the legal debate.

At the moment, things seem slightly strained between Anson and his ex-wife. Although they have gotten back together in the past, the court case is finished, and they seem to be moving on. Anson has also changed his Facebook status to “separated,” indicating to the world that he’s ready to carry on with his life.