GOLDEN Bachelor star Gerry Turner's late wife Toni's tragic cause of death at age 65 has been revealed.
Gerry, 71, was revealed as the first lead of The Bachelor spinoff, The Golden Bachelor, last month, leaving fans completely shocked.
Bachelor Nation has learned a little bit about the Indiana native ahead of the show's fall premiere, but details of his late wife's sudden death have not been disclosed.
Now, The U.S. Sun has exclusively learned about Gerry's high school sweetheart's tragic death.
According to her death certificate from the Indiana State Department of Health obtained by The U.S. Sun, Toni Renee Turner passed away on July 15, 2017 at 65 years old.
She was born November 22, 1951 in Ottumwa, Iowa.
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Prior to her death, she was a patient at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
At 7:30pm local time, Toni was presumed dead due to natural causes.
The immediate cause of death, per the certificate, was "cardiopulmonary failure" - also known as cardiac arrest.
The additional causes were "shock, sepsis and renal failure" - also known as kidney failure.
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Ultimately, an autopsy was not performed.
Per the certificate, services took place at Fair Haven Funeral and Cremation Services in Indiana.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Gerry and ABC for comment.
A TRUE LOVE STORY
The Golden Bachelor was married to his wife for 43 years.
In 2017, she unexpectedly got sick - six weeks after her retirement.
Gerry - pronounced "Gary" - tearfully shared in his Good Morning America interview: "She got robbed. Every day that goes by, that's the thought that I have."
His late wife's picture remains on his dresser and he admitted to still seeking her approval to date others.
Gerry revealed: "We always told each other, when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy.
"She's up there rooting. She's saying, 'Yeah, Gerry. Do this.'"
'NOTHING TO LOSE'
The TV personality, who previously lived in Davenport, Iowa, has two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton.
When host Jesse Palmer surprised Gerry over Zoom by telling him he had been chosen as the first Golden Bachelor, the patriarch eagerly shouted: "Hell yes, I would!"
His daughters gathered around the computer screen and were just as excited for their father to embark on his journey to find love.
In fact, it was his daughters who urged him to sign up for the show because he had "nothing to lose."
Per the show's tagline: "It's never too late to fall in love... again."
LIVING HIS 'DREAM'
Gerry is a retired restaurateur and has an estimated net worth of $1.5million, according to Distractify.
Per his ABC bio, he now spends his days "hosting barbecues, playing pickleball, cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams, four-wheeling and spending time with friends and family at restaurants and local haunts."
Gerry told GMA he would "love" to find a partner with similar interests.
"I'd love it if I found a partner that was high energy. Someone that maybe plays pickleball, someone that maybe plays golf," he said.
Gerry had moved out of the home he had lived in with Toni three years ago.
According to property records obtained by The U.S. Sun, he sold his former home for $415,000.
He is now living in his "dream home" that he purchased in June 2020 for $375,000, which is a short walk away from his former home.
His current home - a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath - is valued on Zillow to be worth $637,700, three years after the sale date.
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The property record states that the lakeside home is over 2,000 square feet and that there is a concrete patio, wood deck and open frame porch.
Gerry will be handing out roses to potential suitors when The Golden Bachelor premieres this fall on ABC.
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