Editing Sandy Koufax (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Sandy Koufax 2014.jpg|thumb|Koufax at the 2014 [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] dinner|alt="Sandy Koufax, in formal wear, makes a speech at a podium during a dinner party."]]

Koufax was raised in a [[Jewish secularism|secular Jewish]] household and did not have a [[bar mitzvah]]. Biographer [[Jane Leavy]] described him as being a "very Jewish being" who was "very Jewish in his thinking."<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 182.</ref> His grandfather Max Lichtenstein, an immigrant with [[socialist]] views, instilled [[Jewish values]] and culture in his grandson, often taking Koufax to the [[Yiddish theatre]] and [[Yiddish music|concerts]].<ref>[[#Koufax and Linn|Koufax and Linn]], p. 16; [[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 28–29, 207</ref>

His refusal to pitch on [[Jewish holidays]] throughout his career was made out of respect for his culture rather than religious devotion.{{efn|Other than [[Yom Kippur]], other [[Jewish holidays]] Koufax would not pitch on included the first night of [[Passover]] and [[Rosh Hashanah]], notably not attending workouts before Game 4 of the [[1959 World Series]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sandy Koufax Responded to a Higher Calling on Yom Kippur in 1965|last1=Rothenberg |first1=Matt |work=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/sandy-koufax-sits-out-game-one}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 2015 |title=Sandy Koufax's refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur still resonates today |url=https://www.espn.in/mlb/story/_/id/13710996/los-angeles-dodgers-legend-sandy-koufax-decision-not-pitch-game-1-1965-world-series-yom-kippur-resonates-today |work=[[ESPN]] |last1=Caple |first1=Jim}}</ref> According to friends, Koufax would later become an avid reader of [[Jewish literature|Jewish]] and [[Holocaust literature]].<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 194</ref>

Despite being one of the biggest stars in America during his career, Koufax has kept a low profile since retirement, rarely granting interviews and making public appearances sparingly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Getlin |first1=Josh |title=Ode to a Private Man |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-10-ls-64590-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 10, 1995}}</ref> Even during his career he was known for being shy and reserved, resulting in the perception that Koufax was reclusive and aloof.<ref>{{cite news |title=There Are Players, And Stars - And Koufax |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/17/there-are-players-and-stars-and-koufax/ |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=August 17, 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Koufax discusses his career, life after |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/1999/1024/132366.html |website=[[ESPN]] |date=October 24, 1999 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> According to Leavy, Koufax was simply uncomfortable with celebrity and refuses to "cannibalize himself for profit." Koufax himself has dismissed the perception, once remarking: "My friends don't think I'm a recluse."<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 248, 250, 272.</ref>

A smoker during his playing days, Koufax refused to endorse tobacco or be photographed smoking, feeling it would send the wrong message to children who idolized him. He also refused to endorse alcoholic products.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 176.</ref><ref>{{cite news |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/12/20/koufax-on-koufax |title=Koufax on Koufax |date=December 20, 1965 |first1=Jack |last1=Olson}}</ref>

In 1962, to supplement his player's salary, Koufax invested in the Tropicana Motel in [[West Hollywood]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beschloss |first1=Michael |title=How Sandy Koufax's Motel Helped Lead to Baseball's Big-Money Era |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/upshot/how-sandy-koufaxs-motel-helped-lead-to-baseballs-big-money-era.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 30, 2014}}</ref> He also founded the [[KYRA (FM)|KNJO]] radio station in [[Thousand Oaks, California]], one of the first FM radio stations to broadcast in stereo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pascual |first1=Psyche |title=Thousand Oaks: Radio Station KNJO Sold for $1.1 Million |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-20-me-119-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 20, 1992 |quote=KNJO, one of the county's oldest stations, was founded in 1963 by Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax}}</ref> Koufax sold both the station and motel in the late 1960s, after his retirement from baseball.

Koufax has been married three times. In 1969, he married Anne Widmark, daughter of actor [[Richard Widmark]]; they divorced in 1982. His second marriage, to personal trainer Kimberly Francis, lasted from 1985 to 1998.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 252.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=People |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/01/13/people |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |quote=On New Year's Day Sandy Koufax and Anne Heath Widmark were married quietly in a civil ceremony at the home of the bride, whose father is Actor Richard Widmark. |date=January 13, 1969}}</ref> He married his third wife, Jane Clarke (née Purucker), in 2008. Koufax has no biological children but is the stepfather of Clarke's daughter from her previous marriage to artist [[John Clem Clarke]] and has two step-grandchildren.<ref name="SABR Koufax"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/28/arts/john-clem-clarke-dead.html |title=John Clem Clarke, a Pop Art Perennial in SoHo, Dies at 83 |date=June 28, 2021 |last1=Traub |first1=Alex |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In 2009, Koufax was listed among the clients who had invested with financier [[Bernie Madoff]] and was one of the victims of his [[Madoff investment scandal|Ponzi scheme]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Toobin |first1=Jeffrey |title=Madoff's Curveball |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/30/madoffs-curveball |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=May 23, 2011 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax amongst those swindled by Bernie Madoff. |url=https://www.espn.in/mlb/news/story?id=3885392 |work=[[ESPN]] |agency=Associated Press |date=February 5, 2009}}</ref> His close friend, [[New York Mets|Mets]] owner [[Fred Wilpon]] had recommended to Koufax that he invest with Madoff.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sandy Koufax visits Mets, offers support |url=https://www.espn.in/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6138652 |last1=Rubin |first1=Adam |work=[[ESPN]] |date=February 19, 2011}}</ref> Despite this, Koufax supported Wilpon and offered to testify on behalf of the Mets' ownership before a settlement averted a civil trial.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sandy Koufax On Bernard Madoff-Mets Trial Witness List |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/sandy-koufax-on-madoff-mets-ny-trial-witness-list/ |agency=Associated Press |work=[[CBS News]] |date=March 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Abad-Santos |first1=Alexander |title=Mets Will Settle with Trustee for Madoff Fraud Victims for $162 Million |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/mets-will-settle-trustee-madoff-fraud-victims-162-million/330409/ |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=March 19, 2012 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

After receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Harold Pump Foundation in 2012, Koufax revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2010 during his acceptance speech: "Twenty-six months ago, I was a so-called cancer victim. Today, I'm a survivor."<ref>{{cite web |title=2012 Lifetime Achievement Honorees |url=https://haroldpumpfoundation.com/index.php/gallery/videos |website=Harold & Carol Pump Foundation |access-date=June 5, 2024}}</ref>

He currently resides in [[Vero Beach, Florida]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Begley |first1=Janet |title=Centennial: Vero Beach, Indian River County had big share of famous sports celebrities over the years |url=https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/verobeachcentennial/2019/03/14/centennial-sports-celebrities-frequented-vero-over-years/3056358002/ |work=[[Treasure Coast Newspapers|TCPalm]] |date=March 14, 2019}}</ref> and lives part-time in [[Hellertown, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bodani |first1=Frank |title=More than wins, losses for Orioles' Jack Fisher |url=https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/baseball/2016/02/13/more-than-wins-losses-orioles-jack-fisher/80266568/ |work=[[York Daily Record]] |date=February 15, 2016 |quote=It's even led [Jack Fisher] to regular golf outings and dinners with Sandy Koufax — arguably the greatest pitcher of his era — who spends his summer only 15 minutes away in Hellertown.}}</ref>

In his forties and fifties, Koufax became an exercise enthusiast. He took up [[running]] to stay in shape, taking part in [[marathons]] both at home and abroad.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 252, 255.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Bill |title=Still Elegant After All These Years |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-04-sp-15141-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 4, 1986}}</ref> A lifelong golfer, he often entered amateur golf championships and participated in charity [[pro-am]] tournaments and still remains active in the sport. A [[college basketball]] fan, he regularly attends the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Final Four]] championships.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Auclair |first1=T.J. |title=How oversleeping led to golfer's lifelong friendship with Sandy Koufax |url=https://www.pga.com/archive/how-oversleeping-led-golfers-lifelong-friendship-sandy-koufax |website=[[PGA Tour|PGA.com]] |date=October 12, 2017}}</ref>

Koufax is a [[Oenophilia|wine enthusiast]], with extensive knowledge of the subject. He reportedly brings a different bottle of wine to [[The Otesaga Hotel]] Hall of Fame dinner whenever he attends the annual induction ceremony.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 252.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard |title=A Night of Wine and Memories |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/sports/baseball/12kiner.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 12, 2007 |quote=Seaver, who owns a vineyard in Calistoga, California, will bring a few bottles of zinfandel to this year's dinner to share with oenophile pitchers like Sandy Koufax (who brings a different cabernet every year), Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton.}}</ref>