Before getting into the discussion of Don Knotts’ children, it’s important we look at the married life of the legendary actor and the women he married before his demise. Born on July 21, 1924, as Jesse Donald Knotts, in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States, the famous comic artist entered his first marriage when he was 23 years old with the actress, Kathryn Metz. The couple tied the knot in 1947 and then moved on to expand their family with the arrival of a son named, Thomas and a daughter, Karen Knotts, both of whom have become popular as Don Knotts’ children.
Their marriage, however, hit rocks in 1964 when the pair signed the divorce papers. Don’s ex-wife, Kathryn is an actress who featured in Queen Crab (2015) as Jennifer Kane and also appeared as herself in the 2009 documentary titled, Being… Neil Armstrong.
Following the divorce, Don Knotts remained unmarried for 10 years and exchanged vows for the second time in 1974 with Lorale Czuchna. The pair stayed married for 15 years before the union was annulled in 1989. It was speculated then that Don developed a preoccupation with his health and as a result, suffered depression which was too much for Lorale to handle. The strain on their marriage eventually led to their divorce.
Don Knotts, went on to marry actress, Frances Yarborough in 2002. Frances had a role in the 1976 film, The Electric Chair, a role that remains her most recognised. Though Frances wasn’t a popular actress, Don loved her till the time of his demise in 2006. Sadly, the TV icon passed on at the age of 81 at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center situated in Los Angeles, California on 24th February 2006, having suffered from pulmonary and respiratory complications from pneumonia, related to lung cancer. He was buried at Westwood Memorial Park located at 1218 Glendon Avenue, Los Angeles and his gravestone impressed with portraits of some of his most famous characters.
