Tippie Johnston: What happened to the Wife of Denver Pyle?

Who is Tippie Johnston? 

Tippie Johnston was the wife of an American television and film actor popularly recognized as ‘Jesse Duke’ from the American action-comedy television series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, Denver Pyle. Tippie’s husband was also a director aside from being a film and television actor. He made a name in the industry for a number of TV roles from the 1960s through the 1980s.

He is well known for his portrayal of Briscoe Darling in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, as Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985, as Mad Jack in the NBC television series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and as the titular character’s father, Buck Webb, in CBS’s The Doris Day Show.

Who was Denver Pyle’s wife?

Denver Pyle’s wife, Tippie Xan Johnston was born to her parents J. T. Johnston and Erin Birch Johnston in the United States of America, however, the exact year and her place of birth have not been made known to the public.

The two love birds took their wedding vows very seriously. Tippie Johnston and her husband happily married walked down the aisle on November 5, 1983, and stayed together until death did them apart. The lover birds remained together until the death of his husband on Christmas day 1997. Tippie’s husband Denver sadly passed away from Lung Cancer on Christmas day and was laid to rest on January 6, 1998, in The First Baptist Church in Texas United States of America.

The actor was buried in an unmarked grave at the Forreston Cemetery in Forreston, Texas. His remains are interred beside those of Tippie’s parents, James Thomas Johnston and Erin Maurine (nee Birch) Johnston. The two love birds were married for about a decade before he passed away.

ALSO, READ; Marilee Carpenter: What happened to Denver Pyle’s ex-wife?

Before Tippie Johnston, the actor was married to Marilee Carpenter, a production assistant at 20th Century Fox. Their marriage was blessed with two sons David and Tony. Marilee and Denver divorced in 1970. Pyle did not remarry until thirteen years later when he and Tippie Johnston.

What happened to Tippie Johnston?

Denver Pyle’s wife Tippie went totally out of the picture after the death of her beloved husband. Even when her husband was alive, she was a very private person who was not interested in fame or being in the public eye. After her husband’s death, she has not granted any interview or made any news headlines. She has been living a very private life away from the cameras of Hollywood.

Facts About Tippie Johnston’s Husband

1. He’s named after the capital of Colorado

Tippie Johnston’s husband, Pyle grew up in the small town of Bethune, Colorado, which had a population of about 90 people before World War II. Pyle’s parents named him after the state’s capital, Denver. Bob Denver also traced his name back to the Mile High City. It was named after his great-great-grandfather, James William Denver.

ALSO, READ: Tony Pyle: Everything About Denver Pyle’s Son

2. Tippie’s husband studied to be a lawyer.

Upon graduating high school, Pyle studied at the University of Colorado to become a lawyer. The future actor quickly realized law wasn’t for him and returned home before traveling the country for a couple of years. 

3. Pyle used his father as inspiration for famous roles.

Tippie Johnston’s husband scored a major role in the first two seasons of The Doris Day Show, playing Doris Martin’s father. He told The Times Record in 1968 that he based his performance off his own father, who was “a man of tremendous dignity.”

4. Pyle was only two years older than Doris Day.

Yep. Even though Pyle was cast as the father on The Doris Day Show, he was actually two years older than Day. Tippie Johston’s husband was born in 1920, while Day was born in 1922. You gotta love Hollywood!

5. He originally signed on for ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ for only eight episodes.

The Dukes of Hazzard was originally picked up as a midseason replacement. When Tippie Johnston’s husband Pyle won the part of Uncle Jesse, he only anticipated appearing in eight episodes, which was supposed to be the original run of the series. When The Dukes of Hazzard became a success, CBS ordered more episodes.

6. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

ALSO, READ: David Pyle: Facts About Denver Pyle’s Son

Because of his success as a character actor, Pyle achieved fame later in his career. The man finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997, less than two weeks before his death on December 25. Looking frail, Pyle attended the momentous ceremony. Tippie’s husband originally wasn’t supposed to speak at the event, but did so anyway.