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He spoke candidly about his illness, hoping to encourage other men to seek medical help early, while quietly holding on to a personal hope: “My prayer was that I would die in my sleep.”
Months before his passing, he married Judith Kliban on October 3, 1993. As his health declined rapidly, his strength faded. While directing Blossom late in his life, he was so weak that he had to work from a sofa on set. Kliban cared for him at their home near Century City until he slipped into a coma and passed away on November 21, 1993, at the age of 59.
Reflecting on their brief time together, Kliban later shared: “I prayed for some extra time, but what we got was really intense and quite fabulous.”
An Enduring Legacy
Bill Bixby’s legacy remains permanently woven into the fabric of television history. Whether remembered for his comedic chemistry with Ray Walston in My Favorite Martian, his gentle parenting in The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, or his grounded, compassionate humanity as David Banner, he left an indelible mark both in front of and behind the camera.
Away from Hollywood sets, he found joy in simple pleasures like Chinese cooking, bridge, music, and gardening. Today, fans continue discovering and revisiting his classic work through streaming platforms, keeping the memory of a truly remarkable entertainer and resilient man very much alive.