Susan and Don Meredith Marriage Profile

The long lasting marriage of Don and Susan Meredith ended with Susan by his side when sports legend Don died. Here is information on how Don and Susan met, their marriage, and more.

Joseph Donald Meredith: April 10, 1938 in Mt. Vernon, Texas.

Susan Schloss Lessans:

Don Meredith: On December 5, 2010, Don Meredith died at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the age of 72 from a brain hemorrhage.

Susan: "He was the best there was," she said, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one."
Source: Susan Montoya Bryan. "Cowboys' Don Meredith Dies at 72." Time.com. 12/06/2010.

Don and Susan met on April 17, 1971 when Don saw her "walking along New York's Third Avenue.

Don: "I thought I was seeing a miracle. Then, after we met, I wondered where she'd been when I really needed her." They since have spent only 24 nights apart."
Source: Brad Townsend. "50 Years later, Don Meredith Still Has a Song in His Heart." DallasNews.com. 11/26/2009.

Susan and Don were married on July 31, 1972.

Don had three children.

• Mary Donna Meredith: Her mother is Alma Lynne Shamburger.
• Michael Shayne Meredith: Born in 1967 in Dallas, Texas, Michael is a director and writer. His mother is Cheryl King.
• Heather Meredith: Born in 1969. Her mother is Cheryl King.

Don: Sports broadcaster and commentator, actor, investor, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

Susan: Model.

Residence Don and Susan called Santa Fe, New Mexico home. They also spent time in Palm Springs, California.

Don had two previous marriages.

• Alma Lynne Shamburger: Don met and married Wichita Falls, Texas beauty queen and SMU cheerleader Alma Lynne, when they were both attending Southern Methodist University during their Christmas vacation on December 20, 1959. They honeymooned in Hawaii. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1963.

Don: "She was Miss Everything and I was Mr. Everybody. We were young -- very, very young."
Source: John R. McDermott. "Praise or boo him, but in Dallas call Don Meredith 'Dandy.'" Life. 12/1/1967. pg. 74.

• Cheryl King: Married on September 4, 1965. Their marriage ended in divorce in November 1971.

John McDermott: "He had knuckled under to Landry's dictum to 'marry the girl that night or wait until after the season."
Source: John R. McDermott. "Praise or boo him, but in Dallas call Don Meredith 'Dandy.'" Life. 12/1/1967. pgs. 74, 77.

Cheryl: "We've been married six years," she says. "Really, it's only three, but every year seems like two years. The off season is a different year than the season. Both years are fast and hectic. I'm not really looking forward to Dandy quitting football. I used to think I was. But it won't be much different when he does. He'll get into something just as challenging. He'll still be gone all the time. He's got ants in his pants. In the off season, he's gone physically. During the season, he's gone mentally. He'll be sitting right beside me, but he's somewhere else. Sometimes he tells me he hates football, but I know he loves it. He says he doesn't like being a leader, accepting responsibilities, but I know he likes that, too, or he wouldn't do it."
Source: "A Cowboy Named Dandy Don." Sports Illustrated. 9/16/1968.

Susan had one previous marriage.

• Keir Dullea:
Susan and Keir, an actor, were married for a year from 1969 to 1970.

[Phyllis] George said she was at dinner Tuesday night with Gifford and Susan Meredith when Susan's phone rang. It was Don. "He was singing to her," George said. "He was singing and he said, 'I miss you so much, I love you.' She put him on the phone with me and with Frank. ... And he's still singing. "It was beautiful, that moment," said George, looking at Susan, who sat near the front of the ballroom. "Thank you for sharing it." Afterward, a misty-eyed Susan said, "It was wonderful."
Source: Brad Townsend. The Dallas Morning News. "Friends, fans honor ex-Cowboys QB Don Meredith." McClatchy - Tribune Business News. 4/29/2010.

Susan: "After he retired from Monday Night, we took up tennis and golf, maybe watched a few Super Bowls because we had parties. Football kind of went away."
Source: Brad Townsend. "50 Years later, Don Meredith Still Has a Song in His Heart." DallasNews.com. 11/26/2009.

Lee Roy Jordan: "The brightest ray of sunshine that you could have in a guy's life, she [Susan] has been it for him," Jordan says. "She has stabilized Don's life, guided and helped him."
Source: Brad Townsend. "50 Years later, Don Meredith Still Has a Song in His Heart." DallasNews.com. 11/26/2009.