Dean Martin's Second Wife Jeanne Martin Dies At 89
(Photo: Photo: Twitter / @rickfriel)Jeanne Martin, the second wife of singer Dean Martin, has died [...]
Jeanne Martin, the second wife of singer Dean Martin, has died at age 89, The Hollywood Reporter shares.
Martin's family announced that she passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer.
Martin was born in Florida in 1927 and became a model, appearing in magazines, catalogs and calendars. She was voted Orange Bowl queen in 1947 at age 20, and appeared its New Year's Eve parade and at the Jan. 1, 1948 Georgia Tech vs. Kansas football game.
In 1948, Martin met Dean at a New Year's Eve show at the Beachcomber Club in Miami.
"We locked eyes and I knew," she told author Nick Tosches for a 1992 biography of Dean Martin. "We just fell madly in love."
The pair were married from 1949–1973 and had three children together, Dean Paul, Ricci and Gina. Ricci died earlier this month.
In his 2005 memoir, Dean & Me, Jerry Lewis described Jeanne as "the best thing (next to me) that ever happened to Dean."
Martin was married to the singer during the height of his career, though the couple separated in 1969 and divorced in 1973. Martin never remarried.
She is survived by Craig Martin, Gail Martin Downey, Deana Martin Griffeth, Gina Martin Romano, and by 11 grandchildren, Deadline reports.
This article first appeared on Womanista.com