Editing James Garner (section)

===Marriage and family===
Despite his popularity and sociable nature, Garner was seen by others as a down-to-earth man who kept his family life private.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lancasteronline.com/features/i-know-a-story-meeting-james-garner-a-down-to/article_923dd3c4-1669-11e4-a56f-001a4bcf6878.html|title=I Know A Story: Meeting James Garner, a down-to-earth star|publisher=LancasterOnline.com|date=August 3, 2014 |access-date=October 4, 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Jim Garner and his family, 1959.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Lois, Garner and family]]

Garner was married once, to Lois Josephine Fleischman Clarke,<ref>{{cite web|last=Walsten |first=Jessika |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/rockford-files-star-james-garner-dies-132572 |title='Rockford Files' Star James Garner Dies|website=NextTV |date=2014-07-20 |access-date=2021-11-29}}</ref> whom he met at a party in 1956. They wed 16 days later on August 17, 1956. "We went to dinner every night for 14 nights. I was just absolutely nuts about her. I spent $77 on our honeymoon, and it about broke me."<ref name=CunneffT-People/> According to Garner, "Marriage is like the Army; everyone complains, but you'd be surprised at the large number of people who re-enlist."<ref>Garner, James, with Charlie Rose.  "An Hour with Actor James Garner." ''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose]]'' (March 26, 2002)</ref> His wife practiced [[Judaism]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a44424/james-garner-and-lois-clarke-love-story/ |title = James Garner and Lois Clarke Dated for 14 Days Before Getting Married|date = August 18, 2017}}</ref>

When Garner and Clarke married, Lois' daughter from a previous marriage was nine years old and recovering from [[polio]].<ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76" /> Garner had one daughter formally named Greta, called by her nickname "Gigi" with Lois who was born on January 4, 1958.<ref name="GoodHousekeeping-Mar76" />

Garner and his wife Lois were still married at his death in 2014, although they had had two periods of separation: the first for three months in 1970, and the second in 1979. The couple reunited two years later in September 1981.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YBlbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4250%2C443056 | last=Beck | first=Marilyn | title=Garner: 'I like people who care' | newspaper=Bangor Daily News | date=January 1, 1982 | access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-garner-the-actor-known-for-his-portrayals-of-an-honourable-man-in-a-dishonourable-world-9617517.html | title=James Garner: The actor known for his portrayals of an honourable man in a dishonourable world | website=The Independent | first=Robert | last=Sellers | date=July 20, 2014 | access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref>

Garner stated that during this second period apart he split his time between Canada and "a rented house in the Valley." In each case Garner said the separations were caused by the stress of his acting career and were not due to marital problems. In the case of ''The Rockford Files'' he was in almost every scene while in constant pain due to his arthritic knees, and under tremendous stress from the studio.<ref name="CunneffT-People" /> Garner stated that when he quit the series in 1979, he simply needed to spend time alone in order to recover.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-the-man-is-back-vol-23-no-16/ | title=The Man Is Back | first=Jane | last=Hall | date=April 22, 1985 | magazine=People | access-date=June 12, 2022 | language=en}}</ref>

Garner's death in 2014 was less than a month before their 58th wedding anniversary. His wife died seven years later, on October 21, 2021.