Jim Nabors was a beloved entertainer for millions of people across the country and beyond. The actor seemed like a candid fellow but for 30 years he hid an important part of himself from the public…
We all remember Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle in “The Andy Griffith Show,” a role he played for decades. The actor was discovered by television producer Andy Griffith and after that became a guest on his show.
His character Gomer Pyle became such a hit with the audience that he became a regular character on the show.
His cheerful character on television was a little different from who Jim Nabors was in real life. Nabors was a Southern kid who struggled with his asthma, which ultimately helped him discover his voice talent. As an entertainer, Nabors enthralled audiences with his baritone voice, which made him a regular on variety shows, and a favorite comedian.
While the Alabama native seemingly had it all, there was a part of his personal life that he hid from the public eye; namely his love life.
It was only in 2013 that the singer publicly revealed that he had been in a three-decade-long relationship with Stan Cadwallader. His long-time love Cadwallader was 18 years younger than Stan. The reason Nabors kept his love life under wraps was because he believed it was privileged information not for public consumption.
In 2013, he said, “I’m 82, and he’s in his 60s, so we’ve been together for 38 years, and I’m not ashamed of people knowing. It’s just that it was such a personal thing. I didn’t tell anybody. I’m very happy that I’ve had a partner of 38 years, and I feel very blessed.”
The two of them met in 1975 when Cadwallader was a firefighter working in Honolulu. He worked for Nabors, and immediately sparks flew and began their decades-long love affair.
While he never opened up to the media about his sexuality till 2013, Nabors revealed that in the 1960s and 1970s, he opened up to his friends and colleagues in Hollywood at the time.
Though he kept his sexuality hidden from the public, the actor revealed that he had always been aware of it and did not plan on hiding it from himself or those close to him as he grew older.
In January 2013, the actor tied the knot with his long-time love Cadwallader, and a little while later the actor officially came out to the public. He was incredibly thrilled about finally being married. The two web in Seattle on January 15, 2013, soon after gay marriages had been legalized in the United States.
A judge officiated the intimate ceremony in their hotel room, with just a few of their close friends present as witnesses.
While Nabors was ecstatic about finally being married, he was also a little bitter about the time the couple had lost due to gay marriages not being legal. He said, “It’s pretty obvious that we had no rights as a couple, yet when you’ve been together 38 years, I think something’s got to happen there, you’ve got to solidify something.”
Nabors had been having health problems for a while. In the 1970s, he was working an incredibly busy schedule which took a toll on him. The actor developed an ulcer and later talked about how he became fatigued. He said, “I was completely burned out. I’d had it with the bright lights.”
In 1994, Nabors had to undergo a liver transplant because he contracted hepatitis B. His declining health forced him to cancel his 2007 appearance and some of his scheduled performances. However, in 2008, he made a comeback.
In November 2017, Nabors’ husband told CBS News that the actor’s health had been steadily declining since thanksgiving.
According to reports from WVNS-TV, the actor underwent some tests after which he was taken home.
Nabors was at his home in Hawaii when he passed away on November 30, 2017. He was 87 years old and was described by his husband as wonderful, he said, “Everybody knows he was a wonderful man. And that’s all we can say about him. He’s going to be dearly missed.”
When his death was announced, Cadwallader said that the cause of death had not been officially determined by the coroner but it was largely suspected that the death was a result of natural causes.
His final years were spent in Hawaii, which he had made his home, after he was cremated, his ashes were spread in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The actor relocated to Honolulu at the height of his career in the 1970s. He bought a 500-acre macadamia ranch that the Los Angeles Times described as a property with “rolling lawns, fruit trees, and tropical flowers.”
In 1992, Nabors added to his real-estate portfolio and bought a Plantation-style home. The home was almost 5,000 square feet built in the 1950s and renovated in 1996.
The two-story home had five bedrooms. The main bedroom was painted, turquoise and white and had leather finishing. The contemporary-styled bed also had a portrait of Nabors hanging above.
The home had six bathrooms and also a second-story living room which has a white theme to it with beautiful marble floors. The living room also boasts an ocean view that leads to a covered lanai.
The dining room has a rectangular table with matching chairs with a brown carpet underneath. The guest suite had an additional bedroom and bathroom. The space also boasts a swimming pool, and a cabana, with a wet bar.
‘The Diamond Head mansion’ as it is referred to has 170 feet of beach front, palm trees, and tropical landscaping. The home sold for $12 million, which was almost $3 million less than the asking price.
The actor lived a full life with a wonderful career that spanned decades. Today, he is remembered for the wonderful characters he portrayed on screen.
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