1/23/05: Johnny Carson died from emphysema. He was 79 years old.
Memorial Service: Although no memorial service was planned, on January 30, 2005, more than a thousand people attended a memorial to honor Johnny at the Johnny Carson high school auditorium in Norfolk, Nebraska.
Burial: TBA.
John William Carson was born in Corning, Iowa on 10/23/25. He was raised in Norfolk, Nebraska.
Death: January 23, 2005, from emphysema, in Malibu, California.
Alexis Maas was born in 1952 and raised in the Pittsburg North Hills area.
Ages at Marriages:
First marriage, Johnny, 23 and Joan, 23 ; second marriage, Johnny, 36 and Joanne, 31; third marriage, Johnny, 46 and Joanna, 31; fourth marriage, Johnny, 61 and Alexis, 35.Johnny and Alexis were married on June 20, 1987. They spent their honeymoon cruising the Mediterranean on the Parts V, a $6.5 million, 147-foot yacht.
How They Met:
Alexis was walking the beach holding an empty wine glass near Johnny's Malibu home. He saw her, and offered to fill the glass for her.Joan "Jody" Morrill Wolcott (born in 1926). Wedding date: October 1, 1949. Johnny and Joan were college sweethearts. They divorced in 1963 in a Mexican divorce. Johnny and Joan had three children. Joan tried to increase her alimony in 1990, but lost the case.
Three.
Christopher Carson, born in 1950. Chris is a golf instructor and lives in Florida.
Richard (Ricky) Wolcott Carson, born in 1952. Died on June 21, 1991, in a car accident. His car plunged down a steep embankment on Highway 1 near the town of Cayucos, north of San Luis Obispo. He was a photographer.
Cory Carson, born in 1953. Guitar musician in Los Angeles.
Johhny, Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and University of Nebraska at Lincoln (1947-1949) where he received a BA in Radio and Speech.
Occupations:
Johnny, ensign in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946. Johnny served on the USS Pennsylvania. Magician, bow and arrow, radio announcer, comedy writer, comedian, television host. He composed the theme song for his talk show with Paul Anka.Alexis was a legal secretary.
Residence:
6962 Wildlife Road, (Point Dume) Malibu, California 90265-4309Johnny Carson set up the John W. Carson Foundation. The foundation has donated millions to many charities such as animal conservation groups, various medical causes in Africa and the United States, youth groups, and educational foundations. In his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska, Johnny also contributed to the the Carson Regional Cancer Center, the public library, the community college, the local arts center, and the Norfolk high school's Johnny Carson Theatre. He donated $5.3 million the performing arts department at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Health Issues:
He had quadruple bypass surgery on March 19, 1999 in Santa Monica, California. In 2002, Johnny announced he was suffering from emphysema.
Quotes on Love and Marriage:
Johnny : "Married men live longer than single men. But married men are a lot more willing to die."Bob Newhart at a Dean Martin Roast for Johnny: "Johnny's first wife was named Jody. His second was JoAnne, and now he's married to Joanna...the man just won't go for new towels."
Source for Alexis Maas information and Bob Newhart quote, pages 223 & 224 of 
Here's Johnny!: Thirty Years of Americas Favorite Late-Night Entertainer by Stephen Cox
