Patricia Heaton Quit Drinking at 60 for Future Grandkids & Promised House to 1st Kid Who Would Make Her Grandma

Patricia Heaton, famous for winning two Primetime Emmy awards for playing Debra Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond," loves nothing more than being a mother to her four kids. So far, she has been committed to the cause and recently changed her lifestyle - see how much her kids have changed too.

Before achieving stardom, Patricia Heaton was raised far away from the spotlight by a not-so-famous celebrity, Chuck Heaton— a sportswriter and author of the well-known column "Plain Talk" for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Patricia was raised mainly by her father, who also catered for her four siblings. Unfortunately, at 13, she lost her mother, Pat, to a brain aneurysm.

Although Patricia became the most successful child in the family, she had other siblings known for contributing to their careers. Among them are Michael and Sharon Heaton.

Michael inherited his dad's love for writing, and like the family's patriarch, he worked with Cleveland Plain Dealer for years. On the other hand, Sharon devoted her life to teaching in a Catholic elementary school after joining the Dominican order to become a nun.

Like her parents, Patricia also oversees a large family. Following her marriage to a producer, David Hunt, in 1990. The couple shares four sons, Sam David, John Basil, Joseph Charles, and Daniel Patrick.

Though motherhood collided with her career as she had her hands full, appearing on the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," the actress was still devoted to raising her boys.

After her time on the sitcom, the mother-of-four racked up several features, including a comedic character on Fox's "Back to You," where she played mom to daughters. Speaking of how refreshing the break from being a boys mom felt, she revealed:

"It's nice to have a girl thing going on. I've got four boys at home, so this summer was all Transformers, paint ball and air guns."

However, she joked that spending time with her boys was fun and that as they grew older, she bonded with them over movies. Still, the actor claimed her sons are yet to see the iconic TV drama that won her two Emmy awards, all because they are not fans of the sitcom.

Having a swell time and being in their lives has been the best way she has shown her devotion to them, and in return, her boys care deeply for her, especially when the actress is clamped down with work. In her words:

"When I did a pilot for ABC last year, my third son was upset that I was going back to work. I said, 'We're just shooting a pilot. It might not be any good.' And he said, 'It's going to be really good, and you're going to be working again.'"

Despite splitting her time between her career and family, "The Middle" star feels blessed to be a mother. In a 2020 post in honor of her boys, she claimed that motherhood is a burst of emotions. The actress mused:

"Being a mother is indescribable; joy, worry, delight, frustration, but ultimately the greatest satisfaction and deepest human love of your life."

Patricia Heaton Changed Her Life for Her Kids' Future

As a mom, Patricia knew she would not do everything right. She was not perfect and needed to drop some habits for her children's future, even though it did not affect them directly.

Last year, while the nation marked its independence day, the "Beethoven" star shocked her fans on Instagram by sharing her sobriety secret.

Besides stopping alcohol, the 64-year-old is focused on being physically fit, including sticking to a keto diet. The refreshingly honest movie star added that she sometimes encourages anti-aging criticisms in her head but tries to fight them by appreciating and embracing her appearance.

While walking more than three miles around the Hollywood Reservoir in Santa Monica Mountains, Hollywood Hills, Patricia shared that she had been sober for three years and was celebrating her freedom.

Before ending her message, she advised fans who needed help to reach out to her for encouragement. In the past, the actress has been open about what influenced her to avoid drinking.

She had headed to Nashville with three of her sons in their 20s to hang out with some friends, and they all enjoyed drinking between meals, after dinner, and while playing board games. Eventually, she became so drunk that she could not help but mispronounce a word, which embarrassed her.

Patricia felt she humiliated her sons and immediately questioned her relationship with alcohol. Her hope of having grandkids finally backed up her decision to quit. The actress admitted:

"And as your hormones change, you can't really process alcohol the same way you did when you were younger. I've stopped, and my life has improved significantly. My kids are in their mid-20s and I'll probably be in my 70s by the time I have grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them."

Besides stopping alcohol, the 64-year-old is focused on being physically fit, including sticking to a keto diet. The refreshingly honest movie star added that she sometimes encourages anti-aging criticisms in her head but tries to fight them by appreciating and embracing her appearance.

Luckily for her, the combination of her sobriety, strict diet, and self-love has positively impacted her looks. In a snap posted during a friendly reunion with Adam Rose, the brunette beauty looked at peace with herself, wearing her prettiest accessory— a close-lipped smile while leaning into her friend.

Interestingly, her recent feat has been immersing herself in her faith. The actress was raised an Irish Catholic and has had the time of her life talking about Jesus to her online fans. Earlier in the month, She boldly shared that she revived her belief after reading an entire Bible for the first time.

How Much Has Patricia Keaton's Sons Changed?

With team effort, the "King of Queens" star and her husband have raised confident young men who have chosen different paths. Their eldest son, Sam David, born in 1993, did not pursue a career in the spotlight like his parents.

Though Sam has been supportive of his mom's work, joining her on the red carpets a few times, he prefers a low-key profile. Despite staying away from the public eye, he has an instagram account showing off his passion for arts; however, Sam created a unique profile.

Patricia's second son, John Basil, was born two years after her first. Like his older brother, he has shared very little info about himself. But through his mom's social media posts, fans get to see how grown he looks!

Joseph Charles is her third son and the only one excited about his mother's celebrity status. Apart from posing seamlessly during his attendance at star-studded events with the movie star, he hopes to pursue a career in modeling, as he shares tons of stylish photos on his Instagram.

Daniel Patrick, the baby of the house, shares a common trait with Joseph. The 1999-born enjoys the spotlight and has attended celebrity events with his mom.

Even though Patricia does not consider herself a perfect parent and has once embarrassed her sons by getting drunk, she has parented her kids excellently, allowing them to imbibe the right values while they chart their course independently. Additionally, she hopes to set a better example for her unborn grandkids!