Winston Conrad “Wink” Martindale died at the age of 91 in April 2025. After building a successful career as a game show host, Martindale eventually received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. The Tennessee native is survived by his children and multiple grandchildren.
Later in his career, Martindale — who hosted the game shows Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, High Rollers and Debt — published his memoir, Winking at Life, in 2000, and he provided an in-depth look at his lifestyle in television.
“I love working with contestants, interacting with the audience and to a degree, watching lives change,” he wrote in one excerpt from the book. “Winning a lot of cash can cause that to happen.”
In addition to game show hosting, Martindale was also a DJ, a radio personality and a TV producer. While he enjoyed success, the American TV Game Show Hall of Famer noted in his memoir that he “could easily have thought, ‘Wow, this is easy! I come out here, go on radio and TV, make a record and everybody wants to buy it!”
“Even if I entertained such thoughts, they soon dissipated,” Martindale pointed out, before adding about his career, “I learned in due time that what had happened to me was far from the ordinary.”
As fans grieve the loss of Martindale, learn about his family below.
Was Wink Martindale Married?
Yes, Martindale was married to his second wife, Sandra “Sandy” Martindale, from 1975 through the end of his life. A Martindale family spokesperson shared in a public statement that the late game show host died “surrounded by family and his beloved wife of 49 years, Sandra Martindale.”
Prior to his second marriage, Martindale was married to his ex-wife, Madelyn Leech, from 1954 to 1972.
Wink Martindale’s Kids
Martindale was a father to his daughters, Lisa, Madelyn and Laura, and his son, Wink Jr., who died before the former Gambit host, according to NPR. His children were all from Martindale’s first marriage to Leech, per the outlet.
Wink Martindale’s Net Worth
Martindale amassed a high net worth thanks to years of working on TV. As of 2025, he had a net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
How Did Wink Martindale Die?
Martindale died following a battle with lymphoma, TMZ reported. According to the outlet, he was battling cancer for one year, and his rep, Brian Mayes, said he had been “doing well” until about two weeks before he died. Martindale then “took a turn for the worse” and was being treated in the hospital before his death.
