Dan Blocker Married His Wife Two Days After He Was Discharged From Military Service & Raised 4 Kids With Her

Jan 12, 2023 by apost team

Dan Blocker may have been gone too soon, but the lasting charm he left on both television and the big screen will forever be remembered as a priceless gift not just to his fans but to everyone who will come across his works in the future. While most of his fans may remember him for the famous character he portrayed on television, he will forever be remembered by the people close to him – especially those who survived him – as a loving family man.

Bon on December 10, 1928, Dan took on different jobs before he landed a career as an actor. A Texas native, he first worked as a rodeo performer before becoming a bouncer in a bar while pursuing his studies. Even though he seemed intimidating in size, people around him found him to be kind.

A book called A Reference Guide to Television’s Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel and Broadcast History revealed that people made fun of Dan’s size growing up. While he was somewhat into sports such as football and boxing, he was even more into reading and studying. He also took a liking to horses, hunting, and fishing.

His acting career began in the late 50s, appearing in a number of television shows in the year 1957 alone. These include ‘The Girl in Black Stockings,’ ‘Black Patch,’ ‘Gunsight Ridge,’ ‘Cheyenne,’ ‘Outer Space Jitters,’ and ‘The Restless Gun.’ He went on to appear in several other television shows that allowed fans to get to know him more as an actor.

But it wasn’t until he snagged the role of Hoss Cartwright in ‘Bonanza’ that his big break as an actor came. Fans didn’t have a hard time loving Dan’s character – described as gentle-natured – in the show. 

He played the role of Cartwright for seven years, appearing in 415 episodes of the NBC series until his death. He died at the age of 43.

Dan died of pulmonary embolism following a gallbladder surgery. While the cause of Dan’s death in ‘Bonanza’ wasn’t addressed in the series, a sequel that premiered in 1988 called ‘Bonanza: The Next Generation’ mentioned that Cartwright “drowned trying to save another’s life.”

But one interesting fact about Dan was he served in the United States Army during the Korean War, between December 1951 and August 1952. He received several awards for his service, including a Purple Heart for his wounds in combat.

When he returned from service, he married Dolphia Parker-Blocker, whom he met while studying at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. But their encounter was not the dreamy kind everyone would hope for. Dolphia was part of the crew for the production of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ while Dan liked to sit in the auditorium. Dolphia had to tell Dan to get out of the auditorium after the latter heckled one of the performers. But instead of taking it out on Dolphia, he decided to change his ways and become a better version of himself.

Dolphia convinced Dan to switch programs, from pursuing studies where he majored in physical education and minored in political theory to shifting to a major in speech during his junior year. After his graduation in 1950, he was offered to play football but chose to pursue acting instead. He appeared on the Broadway run of ‘King Lear’ in 1950. But his acting stint was put on hold after he was drafted into the military.

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Dan was discharged from the military on September 23, 1952. Two days later, on September 25, 1952, he and Dolphia decided to tie the knot. They got married in Carlsbad, New Mexico. They were blessed with four kids. All of their children’s names begin with the letter “D” and include Dirk, David and twins Debra Lee and Danna Lynn. David is a successful producer and even won an Emmy in 1988 for ‘Don King: Only in America.’ Dirk is the only other actor in the family. 

While he was in denial at first, Dirk eventually acknowledged that his father’s death was “too much” for him, resulting in him pursuing acting to escape the pain.

“So I led a pretty wild and untamed private life, avoiding pain as much as possible, and carried on a professional demeanor in public, avoiding reality through the world of make believe/acting,” Dirk said in an interview back in 2013.

Calling his dad his closest ally, Dirk shared what his dad was like as a person: “He cared ardently for the underrepresented in society, was liberal, generous, lived large in many ways and loved to laugh. On the other hand, he did not suffer fools and his temper could get the better of him in an instant.”

He went on: “But he was quick to offer meaningful apologies when it became apparent that he’d crossed a line or misjudged a situation. Accepting responsibility for one’s actions, and aiming for living the golden rule, were the biggest traits I carry from him.”

In June 2018, Dirk shared a photo of him and Dan as a way of remembering him on Father’s Day. “Wishing all fathers and sons a joyous day. Treasure every moment,” he wrote in the caption of his post at that time.

What do you think about Dan Blocker and Dolphia Parker-Blocker’s decision to get married right away? Pass this on to your family and friends who are fans of the ‘Bonanza’ actor!