Frances Yarborough: Biography, Parents, Career, Husband, Children

Frances Yarborough, sometimes known as Francey Yarborough, is the wife of the late actor Don Knotts.

Her late husband was a five-time Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian, best remembered for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.

Knotts’ third and last wife before his death in 2006 was Yarborough. They first met in the late 1980s. The couple, on the other hand, had been on a marital roller coaster for some years.

Francey and Knotts have been friends for almost two decades. Despite their considerable age difference, they formed a deep friendship with each other. Relive their first meeting, their path to becoming husband and wife, and learn more about Francey Yarborough.

In the 1960s Frances Yarborough was born.

Frances Yarborough was born to father Donald Howard Yarborough and mother Charity O’Connell Yarborough. She was born in the 1960s, so she is over 70 years old.

Donald Howard Yarborough, his father, was a liberal Democrat from Texas who ran for governor in 1962 and supported John F. Kennedy.

Additionally, his father was a Marine Corps officer who served as a company commander in China toward the end of World War II. Francey’s father passed away from Parkinson’s disease in September 2009. In addition to these, Yarborough’s father was a lawyer who defended the rights of Mexican immigrants and black people. He ran his own legal practice.

Francey’s father Donald was born on December 15, 1925 in New Orleans. Similarly, his paternal grandfather was president of a bank that failed during the Great Depression.

When Donald was 12 years old, his family moved to Houston.

Frances Yarborough’s siblings

Sofia is her sister. Francey is the sister-in-law of Daniel de Visé, a veteran writer and journalist with 23 years of experience at The Washington Post, the Miami Herald and three other publications. De Vise also wrote the biography of Yarborough’s late husband.

Inez Vanderburg of Austin, Texas, Leverett Yarborough of Bend, Oregon, Danny Yarborough of Los Angeles, Donald Arthur Yarborough, and Mollie O’Connell Yarborough are some of Yarborough’s siblings from her father’s previous relationships.

He has appeared in several films.

While her full-time occupation is unknown, according to IMDb, Frances’ only film credit was in the 1976 crime drama ‘The Electric Chair.’

In one of her husband Knotts’ plays, Yarborough once played one of the third wives (a 1960s hippie who wants to be an actress).

Frances Yarborough met her husband, Don Knotts, how?

Frances Knotts was married to Don Knotts. The couple reportedly got married in 2002. But how and when did husband and wife meet?

What a Country!, her husband Don’s syndication comedy, had just ended unexpectedly. Francey worked as a production assistant on the show. She had played the character on the show since early 1987. And it was during this time that Don and Yarborough met.

In his book Andy and Don: the Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, Knotts characterized Francey as a “beautiful, kind-hearted actress who had settled in Hollywood to pursue improvisational comedy.”

Her main responsibility at the time was helping her future husband, Don, memorize his lines.
They had more than 30 years of age difference.

As previously stated, Yarborough was in his 20s and The Andy Griffith Show actor was in his 50s when the couple met.

The book, Andy and Don, explains that they were soul mates.

“We had an instant relationship,” the wife of a multiple Emmy winner recalls of her first loves.

“I was living a crazy life and so was he. We would just keep talking and talking. He liked hearing about my family. He came from a strange family and I came from a crazy family. He was fascinated by the nuances of people.”

added the former production assistant.

Yarborough went on to say: “My first thoughts about the comic actor were…”

“’My first impression of him was that he seemed very helpless. He had never met someone so vulnerable before.”

Don and Francey began hanging out at La Scala in Beverly Hills shortly after meeting each other, sharing stories and making each other laugh.

They were a couple after a few months and Francey moved into Don’s condo in Century City. They married in 2002 and remained husband and wife until Knotts’ death in 2006.

Before he met Frances Yarborough, her husband was an alcoholic.

Don lived mostly at night when he met Francey, drinking too much and eating too little. He had become a chain smoker, stayed up late and could only sleep with the help of medication.

However, shortly after meeting Yarborough, the The Incredible Mr. Limpet star unexpectedly quit smoking.

Francey described how, one day, he heard a whistle and dropped his cigarette, never to be seen again.

Don Knotts had been married twice before Frances.

Knotts’ first wife was Kathryn Metz, whom he married in 1947. They had two children: a son, Thomas Knotts, and a daughter, Karen Knotts. Metz and Don’s marriage ended in 1964.

Yarborough’s late husband married his second wife, Loralee Czuchna, in 1974, and they were married until 1983.

Don Knotts and Francey resided in the Century City area of ​​Los Angeles at the time of their deaths. During this period, Don was diagnosed with cancer, as well as severe hypochondria and a degenerative eye disease known as macular degeneration.

Don implored Francey not to inform anyone about his condition, much less the media. The reason, according to reports, was that the West Virginia-born actor still wanted to work and an ailing actor couldn’t.

Francey and Don decided not to tell Don’s children that Dad was dying. They didn’t even notify Knotts’ best friend, Andy Griffith.

The death of Don Knotts

Don had stated in his will that he did not wish to be kept alive by artificial means. As a result, doctors disconnected the equipment. Francey’s husband, Don Knotts, died on February 24, 2006, a Friday at 11:00 p.m., with her, Karen, and Tom holding him.

Complications from pneumonia related to lung cancer were the former ventriloquist’s leading cause of death. The funeral was held at Westwood Memorial Park, next to the graves of Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin and Truman Capote.

He recognized the intensity of people’s pride and pain and transformed it into something fun and endearing.

The plaque was written by widow Francey Yarborough Knotts.

Yarborough claimed after Knotts’ death that her late husband “saw poignancy in people’s pride and pain” and found a way to turn it into endearing humor.

Don Knotts’ last performance was as Mayor Turkey Lurkey in the 2005 film Chicken Little.

Frances Yarborough after her death

Following the death of her husband, Knotts’ last wife, Francey, finally became a thing of the past. As a result, it is unknown what else he is doing right now. Since she never pursued acting professionally, there are few titles describing Francey on her own.

Additionally, Yarborough’s aversion to modern communication platforms complicates the situation.

Did he inherit Don Knotts’ fortune?

There was no full disclosure of the veteran comedian’s money after his death, nor will it ever be made public.

While he had a net worth of around $20 million at the time of his death, members of the Knott family did not reveal where the money went.

In any case, Francey is likely to have inherited a considerable fortune upon the death of her wealthy husband.