Vicki Lawrence’s Husband Retired for Her & 2 Kids — Living in Beach Home, He Makes Her Laugh amid ‘Not Curable’ CIU

• Vicki Lawrence and her husband met while the actress was appearing on a show and he was her makeup artist.
• Her first marriage lasted approximately ten minutes, and she was lucky to have met her second husband, who she has been married to for 48 years. He is devoted to her and her children.
• Lawrence's devoted husband is ready to do anything for her and their children.
• Thanks to him, Lawrence was able to visit the doctor in time and learn about her incurable diagnosis.

Vicki Lawrence is an actress who rose to fame when she played the grumpy 65-year-old Thelma Harper on "Mama's Family." The sitcom first aired on January 23, 1983, on NBC, with its final episode showing on February 24, 1990.

Lawrence loved playing Thelma, but she wanted to change her image from an irritable older woman to someone more like herself. The actress did not want filmmakers to view her only as a mama from "Mama's Family."

Lawrence noted that filmmakers thought she didn't care about being cast as old because she was rich, yet she cared and desperately wanted a change:

"I want to play some of the housewife roles that go to Teri Garr, but they don't think of me. Because I've been associated with the Burnett organization so long, they think I'm umbilically attached."

The actress played Thelma since she was 24, and it bruised her ego when people could not recognize the difference between her younger self and the old mama. She confessed:

"I could dress up as Thelma anywhere east of the Mississippi and run for governor and win. People in rural America love Mama. She's honest and forthright. But it would be depressing to have Mama as my only identity."

Due to her desire to be viewed differently, Lawrence took up a role as a hostess for "The Great American Homemaker," which focused on providing tips on kids, pets, recipes, and home repairs.

The show was designed for mothers in their 20s and 30s, which made Lawrence happy as she felt like the right person for the job. The actress said being a host in the show would help change how she was viewed:

"It's wonderful to be myself and prove I'm under 65, that I wasn't born with gray hair. My goal in life is to play an ingenue just once. It's also good to remind my husband he's not going to bed with Thelma."

Lawrence was already married to her second husband by the time she played Thelma and became a host for "The Great American Homemaker."

Lawrence Married Her Best Friend, Who Is Devoted to Her

Lawrence got married at 23 to Bobby Russell, a country songwriter. She said that her marriage to Russell "lasted about 10 minutes."

During their short marriage, Lawrence recorded Russell's song, "The Night the Lights Went Out" in Georgia. The record shot to number one on the charts.

After her marriage to Rusell ended, she started a relationship with her makeup artist at CBS, Al Schultz. Schultz did her makeup until the production she was in, "The Carol Burnett Show," went off the air. The actress praised Schultz:

"You'd think he'd be a real moose, but he's got a gentle touch. Who else could be so good in bed then put your lashes back on in the morning."

As per Lawrence, it was Carol Burnett who found a husband for her. "Carol has been largely responsible for most everything in my adult life," she revealed.

The actress added that when she met Schultz, Burnett was sitting in the dressing room, and he walked by. Burnett told the secretary Schultz was adorable and should be included in the show.

Lawrence and Schultz soon got married. Schultz retired from CBS to concentrate on managing the actress's career and handling the family's finances. However, he would do makeup occasionally for women such as Lena Home and Peggy Lee.

Schultz also focused on being a loving and caring father to the couple's two children, Courtney Allison Schultz and Garrett Lawrence Schultz.

The actress and her husband live in California with their two kids and two dogs, Molly, a yellow Lab, and Lucas, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. Their beautiful custom home is 4200 square feet, which is perfect for entertaining guests.

The house has five bedrooms — one of which is located downstairs — five bathrooms, and a three-car garage with storage. It also has a game room with a built-in bar, a fireplace, and a renovated kitchen. The master suite has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. The home's living room also has a fireplace and wet bar.

Balconies are on each level of the house with views of the bay. The house has a nearby boat slip on open water that contains 60 pierheads and accommodates a large yacht.

The couple's house is one of the smallest on the block, and they do not have a live-in maid. Vicki said having no help ensured she "can run around naked in the middle of the night if I want to." The pair has remained happily married and in love with each other. Lawrence said:

"We still say, it's almost like God said you two idiots belong together and hit us with a lightning bolt 'cause we were really good friends, and we still are.

The "Young Americans" star noted that Schultz was always there for her through the lows and highs of their marriage. She called Schultz her "best friend" and said the lows in their marriage were easy for her to handle because her husband always kept her laughing.

The couple also handled parenting as a partnership. Lawrence spent most of her time carrying out her motherly duties, while Schultz was the devoted father. The duo's sets of grandparents helped them with child care from time to time.

Schultz was a doting father who took Courtney out of school for a lunch date on her 12th birthday. He also did her makeup during Halloween in 1985 to turn her into Cleopatra.

Schultz prepares meals for his wife. In one picture, he prepared a barbecue, and as it got ready, he chilled with his dog, a glass of wine, and some food on his plate.

Schultz ensured the children made their beds. On the other hand, Lawrence would take Courtney shopping for school clothes. She advised her daughter to hide her first bra so her brother wouldn't make fun of her.

Most afternoons, Lawrence would take Garrett to ball games and Courtney to dance lessons. She noted that as a mother, "I try to keep my children's lives down to earth, but down to earth today is fabulous."

Lawrence and her husband also spent time together doing various activities. In the morning, the actress would drive her Porsche to the local health club to keep fit. Her husband would join her separately in his Rolls Royce.

Even in their old age, the pair keep each other laughing. Lawrence once shared a photo of herself and her husband on National Tight End Day and captioned it, "A guy with a nice tight end has it forever." A fan remembered that Lawrence had once said this statement years ago:

"I remember you saying how cute of a butt your hubby had in your live show I saw years ago. He's so cute, Vikki; you picked a winner."

Lawrence was also lucky to have married a man who cared about her emotional well-being and friendships. A few years after they were married, the two went to Betty White's house for a home-cooked dinner.

White was Lawrence's longtime friend and co-star in "Eunice," "Mama's Family," and "The Carole Burnette Show." On the night the duo was invited to White's house, they ate and had a game night with lots of fun and laughs.

On their way home, Schultz, who liked White and treasured the friendship the two women had, told Lawrence, "I hope you don't take this wrong, but if anything ever happened to you, I could date Betty White." Lawrence replied:

"Well, sweetie, I'll tell ya what. If anything ever happened to you, I could date Betty White."

After White died, Lawrence said she taught her a lot and was always there for her. She recalled a time when her cat Sophie was injured by one of the bicycles a neighborhood kid was riding. The actress said the cat broke her front legs and resembled a little Frankenstein with splints.

When this accident occurred, Schultz told Lawrence to pour herself a glass of wine and call Betty. Lawrence also took Schultz's credit card to take Sophie to an orthopedic surgeon as her husband insisted they were not going to put her down.

At that moment, while Lawrence dealt with the agony of seeing her cat in pain, White and her husband were both there for her in their unique way.

Lawrence's caring husband also ensured the actress was diagnosed quickly with an incurable condition. The issue started when the actress woke up one day with itchy hands and palms. She jokingly told her husband to go buy a lottery ticket as her itching meant they would win lots of money.

The couple laughed, but then the actress knew something was wrong when she put her hand in the water, and the itching did not stop. It happened again the next day, and this time, her whole body itched. She noted:

"It started on my stomach, went to my back, my thighs, my butt, and I remember running into the house and straight into the bathroom to pull my shirt up."

Schultz, who was with her in the bathroom, saw huge red welts where the actress had scratched herself. He suggested that Lawrence go see an allergist. The allergist told Lawrence that everyone encounters a bout with hives in their lives and that the issue would clear in ten days.

When the issue did not clear within six weeks, Schultz went back to the allergist, who diagnosed her with chronic idiopathic urticaria. The condition has no trigger and can affect the body at any time it wants. The actress added:

"The important thing is to get with an allergist that is familiar with this because there are treatment options. It is not curable, but it is treatable."

Today, Lawrence and her husband make the best of their lives and time together even as the actress battles a condition that is not a typical allergy.

Lawrence's Husband Makes Her Happy Even as She Struggles with an Incurable Condition

Lawrence and her husband share a love so strong that it has lasted four decades and counting. The actress constantly shares their adorable pictures together online.

In one picture, a happy Lawrence rested on her smiling husband's shoulder. She wished her husband a happy birthday and called him her hubby and baby daddy while noting that she loved him.

In another photo shared on Instagram, Lawrence called her husband and their dog her "sweeties." In the photo, Schultz was chilling and spending time with their dog. He held the furry white dog on his lap while rubbing its belly.

The lovebirds also have fun together whenever they travel. In one picture taken at the airport, the couple played the "Wheels of Fortune" game as they waited to board their plane during the 2014 Christmas period. The two looked so pretty and excited to travel for Christmas.

They also engage in game nights as Lawrence once shared a picture of Schultz at a table filled with poker chips and captioned it, "Big Al's game night @ our house. PuhPuhPuhPokerFace!" Schultz looked ready to go start the game with a card in his hands.

Schultz prepares meals for his wife. In one picture, he prepared a barbecue, and as it got ready, he chilled with his dog, a glass of wine, and some food on his plate. Schultz looked so at home in the picture that he was barefoot.

Schultz is, however, not the only one with a knack for making sumptuous meals. The actress's son also makes meals for the whole family. Lawrence was excited when she shared with her fans that her son was making spaghetti for her. She called him "the chef.

Even after so long, Lawrence and Schultz are still deeply in love with each other. The actress shared a post on their 43rd anniversary and said that, given a chance, she would marry him all over again. She called her husband, the captain of her heart, and wished him a happy anniversary.