John Wayne was married three times; the first two he considered failures. He raised seven children as a father in a multi-million dollar mansion. Wayne’s third wife left him before he passed away from cancer. He was still a good father, though, and that’s how his children will remember him.
The actor who played “The Lady of the Night” enjoyed a fruitful acting career, appearing in over 100 films and winning an Academy Award. John Wayne had four children from his 1933 marriage to Josephine Alicia Saenz. He had three more children with his third wife, Pilar Palette. And their marriage broke up in 1945.
John Wayne tried to become a farmer before entering the entertainment business. He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907. He adopted the same nickname as his dog when he relocated to California: “Duke.” “Big Duke” and “Little Duke” were their nicknames.
He studied at the University of Southern California on a football scholarship. Sadly, an injury caused his scholarship to end after two years. Wayne worked as a film extra and made appearances in the movies “Drop Kick” and “Brown of Harvard” rather than concentrating on sports.
According to his son Ethan, they did not want to build a shrine because they wanted him to rest in peace. He added that they made their decision out of respect for those who are buried nearby; no one would want to see the graves of their loved ones vandalized.
He also acknowledges that he frequently discovers flowers on Wayne’s grave, demonstrating that even so long after his passing, his supporters continue to honor and remember him.
