Bob Newhart's 4 Children: All About Robert, Timothy, Jennifer and Courtney (2024)

Bob Newhart’s four children — Robert, Timothy, Jennifer and Courtney Newhart, brought him the most joy in life.

The comedian, who died on July 18 at age 94, spent decades in the spotlight, becoming a household name not only for his stand-up comedy, but also for his CBS sitcoms, The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, which ran for eight seasons in the 1980s — and more recently, his roles in Elf and The Big Bang Theory.

In the 1960s, Bob met his wife, Ginnie Quinn (born Virginia Quinn). The two were introduced by Buddy Hackett, whose children Ginnie often babysat. “[Buddy] came home one day and you said, ‘I met this guy. And his name is Bobby Newhart. I played golf with him. And I think you should marry him,’ ” Ginnie told PBS in 2005.

Buddy set them up on a blind date, Bob told PEOPLE in 2019, telling Bob that the two would get married and name one of their children after him — which they did. “One of our daughters, we called her Buddy,” Bob said.

After Bob and Ginnie married in January 1963, they welcomed their first child, son Robert, that November. Their second son, Timothy, followed before they completed their family with the addition of two daughters, Jennifer and Courtney

Ginnie told PBS in 2005 that while Bob’s career in show business was hard on the family, he was always a hands-on father — and that the children would always come to their father’s shows.

In the early 1980s, Bob decided to change paths from the unpredictable schedule of stand-up comedy to the more traditional world of sitcoms. “I was really happy just doing stand-up, but it's a tough life for marriage and if you have kids,” Bob told Forbes in 2021, reflecting on starting his CBS show, Newhart. “I was offered to do a sitcom and it would get me off the road, and that was important to me at the time.”

Bob and Ginnie were married for six decades, until Ginnie’s death after a long illness in April 2023. They were also the proud grandparents to several grandchildren from their four kids.

When Legatus magazine asked Bob what has brought him the most joy in life, he said “my family, obviously.”

“I don’t care how successful you’ve been in this business, if you haven’t had a good family life, what have you really achieved?,” he told the outlet in 2013. “You can be the richest man in the world, [but what] have you really accomplished? That’s the way I look at life.”

Here’s everything to know about Bob Newhart’s four children, Robert, Timothy, Jennifer and Courtney.

Robert Newhart

Bob and Ginnie’s first child, son Robert Newhart, was born in November 1963.

By the time the couple had their first baby, Bob was already incredibly far in his career. He had released multiple comedy albums, won three Grammy Awards and The Bob Newhart Show had finished its TV run, according to Bob’s official website.

When Bob released his third comedy album in 1964, Bob Newhart Faces Bob Newhart, he included a skit about fatherhood called “The Expectant Father.”

In the skit, he talks about the experience of becoming a father, comedically riffing on the hospital experience during labor. But when it came to the reality of becoming a parent, he said, “You can read all the books in the world and it isn’t going to cover it. But when it actually happens, believe me, you will turn to jelly just like I did and like every other expectant father does.”

Similar to his other siblings, Robert briefly followed his father into show business. In 1993, Robert played his father in the movie Heart and Souls starring Robert Downey Jr.

In a flashback scene that illustrates the Purple Onion nightclub in 1960s San Francisco, Bob — played by his son — delivers a comedy routine on stage. The movie’s director originally wanted to play one of Bob’s vintage comedy recordings in the scene, but he got Robert to play the part instead, per the Orlando Sentinel.

That portrayal of his father was Robert’s only foray into the limelight, and now Robert keeps his personal life private, refraining from sharing anything about his life publicly or on social media.

Timothy Newhart

Bob and Ginnie welcomed their second son, Timothy Newhart, in 1967. Like his other siblings, Timothy followed in his father’s Hollywood footsteps — albeit briefly — at the beginning of his career.

Bob’s second-oldest child worked as a production assistant and associate on multiple projects, per his IMDB. He started as a production associate on one episode of his father’s show Newhart in 1990, then moved on to three episodes of Ferris Bueller and 13 episodes of Get a Life.

Timothy lives in Los Angeles and works as a history and social studies teacher at the Harvard-Westlake School, where he’s worked since 1995, per his LinkedIn. He was even included in a 2004 story in The New Yorker about the strange gifts teachers receive at private schools.

He talked about the fourteen lime-green plastic shrimp forks he was once gifted for Christmas. “I held on to them for a while, out of shock,” he told the outlet. “And also to remind myself how bizarre this job is.”

Though he keeps most of his personal life private, Timothy has three children with his ex-wife Eve Makoff, per his Facebook — two sons, Timothy and William, and a daughter, Caroline.

In 2010, Timothy posted a photo on Facebook of his son — also named Timothy — with Bob admiring some planes. “Grandpa shows Timothy planes at Santa Monica airport,” he captioned the post, adding in the comments that his daughter Caroline, who took the photo, was a “pint- sized Margaret Bourke-White!”

In 2016, Bob posted a photo on Facebook on his way to the Emmy Awards with Timothy and his daughter Caroline, as well as Ginnie and Bella (Jennifer’s daughter). That year, Bob was nominated for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role as Arthur in The Big Bang Theory.

Jennifer Newhart

Bob and Ginnie’s third child, daughter Jennifer "Jenn" Newhart, was born in 1971.

In 1994, Jennifer married her first husband, Joseph Bongiovi, celebrating the nuptials with a reception at the Newhart family home, according to Variety.

Though they’re no longer together, Jennifer and Joseph welcomed four children — Bellamia, Jojo, Moe, and Taylor Joy Bongiovi — according to their Facebook pages.

Though Jennifer didn't pursue a career in Hollywood like her siblings, she was involved in her father's career, helping to run his social media accounts and attending award shows with him.

After working in marketing for years, Jennifer and Lance Toro — her “life and business partner,” per her Facebook — own and operate a bakery together. The business, Wantz and Kneads, sells sourdough breads and baked goods at farmers markets around Ventura County and opened in 2020.

Courtney Newhart

Bob and Ginnie welcomed their fourth child, their daughter Courtney Newhart, in 1977.

Courtney briefly followed her father into show business as a child and young adult, appearing in one episode of Newhart in 1986 as a “Ranger Girl” in a Girl Scout troop, and as a production assistant and George & Leo in 1997, according to IMDB.

In 1996, Courtney started college at Santa Clara University in California, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching, per her LinkedIn. While she was attending school, her dad stepped in to lend his famous persona to the school.

In 1998, he performed for free at a school fundraiser, NewsTimes reported, and when Courtney graduated in 2000, Bob was a guest speaker at the commencement ceremony. According to The Santa Clara, Bob not only gave a speech, but received an honorary degree himself and handed Courtney her bachelor’s degree on stage.

A few years later, Courtney married her husband, Todd Albertini, and the pair welcomed three children together: two sons and a daughter.

Their oldest son, Ash, was born in December 2008, followed by their son Griff, in August 2008.

The couple welcomed their youngest child, their daughter Lucia in April 2013. “We were blessed to have Lucia Quinn Albertini join our family April 29th,” Todd wrote alongside a photo of Lucia on Facebook a few days after her birth in 2013. “Mama and baby are both beautiful as ever and doing great!”

Though Courtney keeps most of her social media accounts private, in 2014 she shared posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) for her father’s 85th birthday. “Happy 85th Birthday to the Best Dad/Poppie we could ever ask for!! @BobNewhart,” Courtney wrote alongside a photo of her three children holding a handwritten sign that read “Happy 85th Birthday Poppie!!”

That year, Courtney and her siblings surprised Bob by getting as many people as possible to share birthday messages to him on Twitter, the siblings wrote on the platform. Those who responded to the request included Beau Bridges, Tim Conway and Bonnie Hunt.