Jackie Vernon’s son, David, had some interesting things to share about the Frosty the Snowman star. During an appearance on Nostalgia Tonight With Joe Sibilia podcast, David revealed that his late father, who voiced Frosty in the 1969 animated TV special, had several families before meeting David’s mother, Hazel. He found this out when a woman and her son came to visit his father shortly before he died in 1987. When David told the woman that Jackie was on the road, she insisted on speaking to his mother.
David was sent to his room, and a heated conversation ensued. After the unknown visitors left, David asked his mother who they were. It was then that David’s mother was forced to tell him the shocking truth: His father had been married before—at least three times—and had other kids as well. On top of that, Jackie had given more than one of his sons the same name.
“From these marriages, he had sons, and he named them all Ralph, after himself—after his, you know, his original name, Ralph Verrone,” David explained. “But he also abandoned all these families. He left them, [and] moved on.” His mother wasn’t sure that Jackie had even divorced one of his exes, nor did she know if he’d ever actually married one of the others.
David also shared that his father battled with depression and addiction. Jackie was hooked on Quaaludes and Valium, which took its toll on him and his family. “It was a hard struggle for him. It was hard for us, seeing him go through that,” David said.
According to David, one of the bright spots for Jackie was when he finally accepted that he would always be remembered for playing Frosty the Snowman. On one of their last Christmases together, the family watched the special along with Jackie, and he told them he was proud to have been involved. “He enjoyed it, he laughed at it. He was so happy that he had done it, and it became a very warm spot in his heart,” David recalled. “I loved seeing that for him.”
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