Richard Thomas Celebrates 28th Anniversary with Wife Who Lifted Him up after Divorce & Made Him Dad of 7

Richard Thomas' had three kids with his first wife before she left him. After a messy divorce, the actor found love again. Now, the couple is celebrating their 28th anniversary and their big family.

Richard Thomas, most famous for his portrayal of John-Boy in "The Waltons," celebrated his 28th anniversary with his second wife, Georgiana Bischoff. The actor was first married to Alma Gonzalez, a teacher at the time, but the marriage didn't last.

In the 1990s, after 18 years together, Alma decided she wanted a divorce. Richard didn't. He was heartbroken and didn't want her to leave him, but Alma insisted. The pair had three children together, and suddenly, Richard was a divorced single father.

The actor spent almost a year on his own, just caring for his kids. After Alma left him, he thought he would never marry again. He was sure she was the last one he could love, and he was still thinking about her. What's more, he started losing his hearing around the same time. He commented:

"Not to sound trite, but I've always felt that way. Of course, at some point life brings you to your knees, and in my case it was a painful divorce that was not, N-O, my idea. But because of it I was dragged kicking and screaming into a happier life."

Luckily, he met Georgiana, and his entire perspective on life changed. In 1992, the actor was in Scottsdale, working on a play, when he met the woman that would be his second wife. The two met each other in a local family store, and they hit it off from the start.

Now, 28 years later, Richard and Georgiana are still happy together. A short while after the wedding, the couple decided to move to Manhattan. Here they stayed in an apartment while the younger kids finished school. Richard also had the chance to return to Broadway, where he started his acting career.

Two Failed Marriages and a New Blended Family

When Richard met Georgiana, she was going through a rough time as well. Like him, she had just gone through a nasty divorce. When they met, she worked as an art dealer, and the two could instantly relate to each other. They started getting to know each other and shared their stories with one another.

For Christmas, the family gets together for what Richard calls a traditional Southwestern Christmas.

Georgiana admitted that neither of them wanted to marry again when they met, so things started out rather plutonic. They talked for hours at a time, but she shared, "when the passion came, it was great." Slowly, they built a solid relationship, and the two fell in love again.

While he was staying in Scottsdale to work on the play, he used every chance he could get to see and speak to Georgiana. He mentioned that he almost felt giddy at the prospect of seeing her. The Broadway alum explained:

"I was rolling around like a pea on a drum. She was so nice, I kept going back."

So, the two started spending even more time together, and it didn't take them long to decide they would try the marriage option one more time. Both of them had children from their previous marriages, and combining them all into one cohesive family unit would be a challenge at best.

Richard explained that getting the family to blend well would be "like postgraduate work for people who failed the course." That said, they managed to get all of their children to not only get along, they even had them participate in the marriage ceremony.

A Successful Mixed-up Marriage

Twenty-eight years ago, Richard and Georgiana tied the knot with a big family get-together. The two decided on the San Gabriel Mountains as the setting for their wedding, and they invited almost every relative they had. The actor described the day happily and said:

"It was a big family picnic. There was such a feeling of love from the kids."

All of their children were present. Richard's son, Richard Francisco Thomas, was his dad's best man, while his triplet sisters, Barbara, Pilar, and Gwyneth Thomas, were bridesmaids. Georgiana's children, Brooke Murphy and Kendra Kneisel, also took part, serving as bridesmaids with the Thomas girls. Georgiana's brother gave her away.

Richard and his wife decided to expand their posse of kids by one more. After they were married, the two welcomed their son, Montana James Thomas. The actor mentioned the family often comes together for dinners, and eating together has helped them navigate the complicated parts of life. He opened up:

"It wasn't always easy, blending a family of six kids and then having our own son — that's a big job. It causes tension and challenges, but we've been able to weather every storm and those complicated parts of life. We're even surviving COVID together!"

For Christmas, the family gets together for what Richard calls a traditional Southwestern Christmas. It has become a family tradition, and Georgiana makes it a point to set up the table. These family gatherings have helped them remain close throughout the years, and even the grandkids come to visit on these occasions.

Richard also shared that he and Georgiana love cooking together. He explained that they work together excellently, and they both enjoy cooking immensely. He said, "I cook Thanksgiving dinner and my wife cooks Christmas dinner. My wife and I are very good together in the kitchen."