James Garner was the ultimate "cool" guy. Whether he was playing the wisecracking Bret Maverick or the beat-up-but-resilient Jim Rockford, he had this easygoing charm that felt real. Because it was. But while everyone saw the guy driving the gold Firebird, fewer people knew the heavy lifting he did at home. People often assume Hollywood marriages are basically a coin toss—usually landing on tails. Garner didn't play that game. He met a woman named Lois Clarke at a political rally, and fourteen days later, they were married. Two weeks. That’s it.
Most people think that kind of impulsive move is a recipe for a messy divorce headline. Instead, it lasted 57 years.
The 14-Day Romance with Lois Clarke
The "James Garner wife and daughters" story actually starts in 1956 at a "Stevenson for President" rally. James saw Lois Josephine Fleischman Clarke and, in his own words, he just "flipped out." He wasn't the type to overthink things when his gut told him something was right. They went to dinner that night. They went out every single night for the next thirteen nights. On the fourteenth day, August 17, 1956, they tied the knot at a courthouse in Beverly Hills.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though.
Garner’s family, particularly his father, wasn't exactly thrilled about the speed of the union. They were also skeptical because Lois was Jewish and James was a Methodist from Oklahoma. In the mid-fifties, that kind of thing ruffled feathers. Plus, Lois already had a seven-year-old daughter named Kimberly from a previous marriage. James didn't care. He stepped up immediately.
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The marriage survived nearly six decades, though it did hit a couple of rough patches. They actually lived apart for three months in 1970 and again for a longer stretch in 1979. During that second split, Garner was filming The Rockford Files and was basically a physical wreck. He was doing his own stunts, his knees were shot, and he was under massive stress from a legal battle with the studio. He stayed in a separate house to decompress, but he never filed for divorce. They got back together and stayed together until he passed away in 2014.
Raising Kimberly and Gigi
When James married Lois, he didn't just get a wife; he became a dad. He legally adopted Kimberly Clarke. He even changed his own name legally around that time. He was born James Scott Bumgarner, but the studio had already shortened it to Garner. He officially made the switch so Kimberly wouldn't have to deal with multiple last names at school. That’s the kind of guy he was.
Then, in 1958, Greta "Gigi" Garner was born.
Growing up as the daughters of a massive TV star could have been a nightmare, but Garner tried to keep things grounded. He was the "fun dad." Gigi has shared stories about how he’d get down on the floor and play or let them do "wild" stuff, but only after he tested it first. If the kids wanted to jump off the balcony into the pool, James would jump first to make sure the water was deep enough.
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He was incredibly protective. Having grown up with a stepmother who was physically abusive, James was obsessed with making sure his girls felt safe. He hated the idea of them feeling the way he did as a kid—unwanted or scared.
Where Are They Now?
Gigi Garner has arguably become the most vocal keeper of her father's flame. She didn't just sit back on a trust fund. She’s been a songwriter, a jewelry designer, and even a licensed private investigator—a move that definitely feels like a nod to her dad’s most famous role.
Today, she runs the James Garner Animal Rescue Fund (JG-ARF). James was a huge dog lover. His dogs were his shadows. After he died, Gigi launched the charity to honor that connection. She also manages his estate and has worked tirelessly to preserve his legacy, including auctioning some of his famous racing watches to fund animal rescue efforts.
Kimberly has kept a much lower profile. While Gigi is often the one giving interviews or sharing memories on social media, Kimberly has mostly stayed out of the Hollywood spotlight. It’s a dynamic you see in a lot of famous families—one child handles the public-facing legacy while the other prefers a quiet, private life.
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Why the Garner Legacy Still Matters
Honestly, the reason people keep searching for "James Garner wife and daughters" isn't just because they like old TV shows. It’s because the way he lived his life is a bit of a lost art. He was a guy who stayed married when it got hard. He was a guy who treated an adopted daughter exactly like a biological one.
He was also a man of deep convictions. He and Lois were active in the Civil Rights Movement. They marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. He didn't do it for the PR; he did it because he had a "core sense of moral values," as Gigi often says.
Lois Clarke passed away in October 2021, seven years after James. They’re buried together, finally back as a team. If you're looking for a takeaway from the Garner family story, it’s basically this: trust your gut, show up for your kids, and don't walk away just because things get a little bruised.
Next Steps for Fans and Researchers:
- Support the Cause: If you want to honor the actor's personal passion, check out the James Garner Animal Rescue Fund (JG-ARF), which is still actively saving dogs today.
- Read the Memoir: To get the full story in his own words, pick up a copy of "The Garner Files." He’s incredibly blunt about his marriage, his health, and his daughters.
- Watch the Work: If you’ve only seen The Notebook, go back and watch Support Your Local Sheriff! or The Americanization of Emily. You’ll see the wit that his daughters say was his defining trait in real life.