With 3 kids and a loving 44-year marriage, many would be surprised to know that Henry Winkler and his wife almost never saw each other again after their first meeting in a clothing store. 

Henry Winkler is perhaps best known for his role as Arthur Fonzarelli on “Happy Days”, but should also be recognized for his devoted marriage to his wife, Stacey. It’s hard to imagine that the two almost never made it to their first date...

Henry Winkler is a name most people are familiar with because of the iconic roles the actor has portrayed in his long career. Most notably, Winkler is known for his role of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in “Happy Days,” a character that is still highly referenced in pop culture today.

When Stacey and Henry met, the respective public-relations employee and actor found themselves in a clothing store that was a client of Stacey’s firm. While looking for a sport coat, Henry asked Stacey for some help, and the rest was history.

Speaking about the first time they met, Henry said, “She was wearing purple parachute pants, and she had red hair, and without her even saying a word, I thought, ‘Woah, beautiful woman standing in front of me’. I came back to the store the next week, and she was there. And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is.”

When Henry returned to the same store for his coat a week later, Stacey almost refused his offer to go on a date. Of course, she eventually agreed and, before they knew it, they were dating.

A step further than dating, Stacey and her then-four-year-old son moved in with Henry just before the couple decided to marry in 1978.

After being married at the same Manhattan synagogue where Winkler was bar mitzvahed, the couple had to begin navigating Henry’s growing fame. Stacey often had to cope with the large amount of female attention he began receiving.