Personal Life
Borgnine married five times. His first wife was Rhoda Kemins (1949–1958), whom he met while serving in the Navy. They had one daughter, Nancee (born May 28, 1952). Then he married actress Katy Jurado (1959–1963). Borgnine's marriage to singer Ethel Merman (1964) lasted 38 days. Their divorce was finalized on May 25, 1965.
The actor Frank Wilson who co-starred with Borgnine in the film Season Of Passion related the following tale:
"Ernest told me he and Ethel fought like cats and dogs and she had a rapier like wit. He said : "One day she came off the set of a film and said- 'the director said today I looked sensational. He said I had the face of a 20 year old, and the body and legs of a 30 year old' !" I said : "did he say anything about your old cunt ?"."No" replied Ethel, "he didn't mention you at all".
He then married Donna Rancourt (1965–1972), with whom he had a son, Cristopher (born August 9, 1969) and two daughters, Sharon (born August 5, 1965) and Diana (born December 29, 1970). His fifth and last marriage was to Tova Traesnaes, which lasted from February 24, 1973 until his death.
He has a sister, Evelyn Velardi (born 1926). His mother, Anna Borgnine, died in 1949, of tuberculosis, just days before his first wedding.
Borgnine died of renal failure approximately 1:30 p.m. on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California with his family at his side. He was 95 years old. Attenders at his funeral included several members of the United States Navy SEALs, as well as Tim Conway, Scott Eastwood, Leonard Nimoy, Dylan McDermott, Gary Sinise, Joan Rivers, Joe Mantegna, Marlee Matlin, LeVar Burton, Rob Lowe, James Corden, Jenny McCarthy, Flea, Bruce Campbell, and Roger Ebert.His remains were later cremated.
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