'M*A*S*H's Mike Farrell Wanted Ex-wife 'Back' - Their Granddaughter With His Eyes Turns 10

• Captain B. J. Hunnicutt, aka Mike Farrell, from the hit series "M*A*S*H" recently lost his ex-wife Judy Farrell who he was married to for 20 years.
• Judy was also the mother of Mike's two children, and after their divorce, he admitted that he wanted her back.
• He is now a grandfather, and one of his grandchildren recently celebrated her 10th birthday.

Hollywood actor Mike Farrell's ex-wife Judy Farrell tragically passed away in April at 84. The former couple share two children - Michael and Erin Farrell. According to the news, which was broken by TMZ, her son reported that she had passed away at a hospital only nine days after suffering from a stroke.

It was said that the former actress was consciously aware moments before she died and was able to squeeze her loved ones' hands but was unable to talk due to the effects of the stroke. Before her demise, she starred alongside her ex-husband as Nurse Able in the '70s/'80s sitcom "M*A*S*H."

Judy spent her final moments surrounded by her loved ones, which included her daughter and son. Erin took to her Instagram page to dedicate a heartfelt tribute to her mom in which she posted an endearing picture of the two of them embracing each other and sharing a smile. Her caption revealed how close she had been to her mother and how much of an inspiration she was to her:

"This past Sunday morning, my dear wonderful momma passed away. She was the embodiment of love, kindness, laughter, and strength. My heart aches with her absence, but my heart is also so incredibly full and grateful for the lifetime I had with her, [and] she inspired me every day."

Her brother, Michael, posted a carousel of images showing photos of their mother from the past at their private funeral ceremony. The last image showcased a picture taken at a distance to include all the pictures of Judy and to show an array of empty chairs, which may be an indication of just how many close loved ones she had.

How Mike Farrell Struggled to Get His First Wife Back After Their Divorce

As mentioned previously, Mike and Judy started their relationship as co-stars in the hit classic "M*A*S*H" and decided to get married in 1963. In his tell-all memoir "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist," he revealed that outside of love, the decision to wed Judy was based on the fact that the two had come to a crossroads within their relationship.

She was living in Laguna at the time, and he was contemplating a partnership at a new firm. This, coupled with the intangible societal pressures of commitment, making a name for oneself, and a sense of being pressed for time, catapulted their union.

Though she and her ex-husband, Mike, could not make their marriage work, they remained friends and stellar co-parents to their two adored children.

Thus in August of 1963, the duo, who were of different proponents of the same faith, wed in a Presbyterian Church. Their firstborn, Erin, was born the same year the couple got married.

When the show they were both starring in reached its seasonal halfway mark, their secondborn, Michael, was welcomed into the world. Mike disclosed how supportive he was throughout Judy's labor:

"I stayed with her throughout the labor, providing ice chips and keeping her on track with the breathing. I was in the delivery room when he was born, something that's not unusual today but was very much so then. Judy was extremely brave."

The former lovebirds enjoyed 20 years of marital bliss together before they divorced when their relationship started to take a turn for the worst. In his book, "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist," Mike gives an account of how hard he fought to make his marriage work by attending twice-a-week therapy sessions.

He takes a deep dive into the challenging group sessions he endured in which all the members forced him to take accountability for his errors and all the ways in which he added to the failure of his relationship with Judy. The therapy was specifically engineered to ensure Mike came face to face with dealing with the actual reasons that brought him there in the first place:

"They were tough on themselves, tough on each other, and they were tough on me. 'Why are you here, man?' My wife and I split up, 'So what?' So I want to get her back and get my life together."

After accepting that he needed to take a journey of soul-searching and putting in the work he needed to, Mike and Judy tried to work out their problems, especially for the sake of their children. However, the ex-couple could not work it out, and despite the devastation they knew it would cause the children, they acknowledged that their lives were going on separate paths and decided to end their marriage:

"[We were] acutely aware of how traumatic a divorce would be for the kids... The whole process was a wrenching, deeply painful ordeal for all involved, but Judy and I were able to work out a cooperative arrangement... [it was] a harsh reality that had to be faced, [and] it was awful."

To cushion the blow for their children and keep everything as normal as possible, Mike purchased a home down the hill from their original family residence so they had easy access to both. A year after their divorce, Mike married Shelley Fabares, and two years later, Judy married Joe Bratcher.

Naturally, the transition for their kids to embrace their parents' new partners came with its challenges, and the adults had to work hard to ingratiate themselves in the new family dynamic. Still, eventually, all four individuals, along with Erin and Michael, became a blended family.

Mike Farrell's Granddaughter Has His Eyes and Makes Him Happy Nowadays

Mike is still married to Fabares, and the happy couple now enjoy living out their days as devoted grandparents. Grandpa Mike especially loves hanging out with his daughter's daughter, Addison. While being interviewed by Alan Alda of "Clear and Vivid With Alan Alda," Mike spoke about all the fun he, Fabares, Erin, and Addison get up to:

"I have to tell you one thing, my daughter and her daughter [come] over, and they stay outside in the yard and swim, and Shelley and I will stand on the patio and watch them."

Though she may have unfortunately lost her grandma, Judy, Addison is adored by her bonus grandmother Shelley. The little girl with the same blue, beautifully striking eyes as her grandfather also recently celebrated her 10th birthday.

Her loving mother posted an array of pictures showing a happy Addison smiling in every photograph, showing off her fabulous nails, and enjoying some time in nature. She is described as curious, kind, amazing, and funny by her mama bear Erin.

Although Judy is severely missed by her loved ones, her legacy continues with her daughter Erin, her son Michael and her grandchildren. Though she and her ex-husband, Mike, could not make their marriage work, they remained friends and stellar co-parents to their two adored children.

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