Editing Richard Bach (section)

==Personal life==
Bach had six children with his first wife, Bette Jeanne Franks. Also a pilot, she is the author of ''Patterns: Tales of Flying and of Life'', a book about her life as a pilot and single mother.<ref>Bach Fineman, Betty. ''Patterns: Tales of Flying and of Life'' Editorial and Aviation Service, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0979629808}}.</ref> She typed and edited most of Richard's aviation writing. They divorced in 1970, and Bach spent years without seeing his children.

His and Bette's son Jonathan, named after the titular character in Bach's bestseller, ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull,'' is a software engineer and journalist. He wrote the 1993 book ''Above the Clouds,'' about growing up without knowing his father and then later meeting him as a college student. Richard gave his approval, although he noted that it included some personal history he would "rather not see in print."<ref>Bach, Jonathan. ''Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son.'' New York: William Morrow & Co., 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-6881-1760-3}}.</ref>

Their other children are Robert, Kristel, [[James Marcus Bach]], Erika, and their youngest daughter, Bethany, who died in an accident at the age of 15 in 1985.

In 1981, Bach married the actress [[Leslie Parrish]], whom he met during the making of the film ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull''. She featured significantly in two of his subsequent books: ''The Bridge Across Forever'' and ''[[One (Bach novel)|One]]'', which primarily focused on their relationship and Bach's concept of soulmates. They divorced in 1999.<ref>Leagle.com, Bach vs Parrish [https://www.leagle.com/decision/inwaco20081106479 "Bach vs Parrish"] Retrieved: `January 17, 2021.</ref>

Bach married his third wife, Sabryna Nelson-Alexopoulos, in April 1999. They divorced on April 1, 2011.<ref>King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington; case number 10-3-05920-6, decree of dissolution issued April, 1, 2011.</ref>

Bach has been married to his fourth wife, Melinda Kellogg, since November, 2020.<ref>{{cite web | title=Richard Bach » Who is Melinda Jane Kellogg | website=melindajanekellogg.com| date=20 July 2018 | url=https://melindajanekellogg.com/?page_id=83768 | access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=October 2023}}