Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Shared Touching Farewell Days Before He Passed

Nov 07, 2022 by apost team

Lucille Ball was one of the most beloved actresses of all time. Known for her great comedic timing, charming stage presence and outgoing demeanor, Ball paved the way for many future stars in the entertainment industry, namely other young women. 

To audiences everywhere, the multi-talented redhead was best known for being an actress, comedian and singer. However, Ball also really made her presence known behind the scenes in the television industry with her work as a studio executive and producer.

She was born in 1911 in New York. Her father was a lineman, which meant the family moved frequently during Ball’s childhood, as they relocated to Montana, New Jersey and Michigan. In 1915, Ball’s father died, leaving behind his pregnant wife and daughter. 

Despite this tumultuous beginning, Ball possessed the drive to return to New York as a young hopeful and chase a career in stardom. Eventually, after initial success, she moved to Hollywood to fully pursue acting. It was challenging for the undiscovered star to find work, but she never gave up on her dreams.

After much hard work and determination, Ball skyrocketed to fame with her sitcom “I Love Lucy,” a show she both starred in and produced. She even cast her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, as her onscreen partner. 

The series brought Ball great success and led to a series of spin-offs, helping her continue her reign as one of the best sitcom actresses of all time. The couple's daughter spoke to People in February 2022 about Ball's career and her parents' success and marriage. 

Ball and her mother moved back to the Jamestown area following their patriarch's death, where Ball’s maternal grandparents helped raise both her and her younger brother Fred after he was born. The family stayed there for four years until Ball’s mother remarried. When she was 12 years old, Ball auditioned for her stepfather’s Shriners organization since it was in need of entertainers for the chorus line for their next show. After having the chance to perform onstage, Ball fell in love with the attention and recognition she received and quickly decided that she wanted to be an entertainer.

However, it took a bit of time for Ball to finally get the chance to go for her dreams. When she was just 14 years old, she began dating a 21-year-old boy in her neighborhood, much to her mother’s disapproval. After a year, the couple’s relationship had still not fizzled out, leading to Ball’s mother searching for a distraction for her daughter. In 1926, Ball was enrolled in the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts in New York City as a way to both stay away from the older neighborhood boy and finally get the chance to strive for stardom. 

However, Ball’s time at the school didn’t go as planned, as she was met with harsh criticism. After some struggle, she picked up some short-lived chorus work on Broadway. She also scored an uncredited role in “Roman Scandals." She then began to pick up more jobs, including a part in “Three Little Pigskins” and “Room Service."

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Ball was then cast in the musical “Too Many Girls.” There, she met Arnaz. The two fell in love and shortly after got married. Their chemistry as a couple extended to the screen and they continued working together throughout their careers. Notably, when CBS developed the radio comedy “My Favourite Husband" for television, Ball agreed to star only on the condition that Arnaz would also be cast. 

Unfortunately, the network scrapped the show. However, CBS still saw great potential in Ball, an impression which led to the launch of “I Love Lucy.” As titular Lucy, Ball skyrocketed to fame alongside her husband, achieving several firsts for television along the way. She became the first woman to head a TV production company, Desilu Studios, and “I Love Lucy” was the first to feature an ensemble cast. Touchingly, Arnaz starred as her on-screen, clean-cut husband. 

The couple had an inspiring presence onscreen and an equally loving marriage in real life. Although they eventually divorced and Ball remarried, they remained friends until Arnaz's death in 1986.

Their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, relayed their touching goodbye in a February 2022 interview. She recalled:

"I could hear her say, 'I love you.' She said it five times in a row. And he was nodding and saying, 'I love you too, honey' … None of us realized it at the time, but the day they last spoke was Nov. 30, their wedding anniversary." 

Arnaz passed away a mere two days later on Dec. 2, 1986. Ball's best friend Lillian Briggs Winograd had said after both Ball and Arnaz had died, "Desi was the love of Lucy’s life."

The two remain one of the most beloved television couples of all time, with their chemistry and the charming contrast of their characters winning audiences over even today. 

What are your memories of "I Love Lucy'"? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family, as well as any fellow Lucille Ball fans!