Who was Jay North married to? Family life explored as ‘Dennis the Menace’ star dies aged 73 

American actor Jay North died at his home in Union County, Florida, on April 6, 2025, at the age of 73. He succumbed to colorectal cancer after several years of struggling with the disease.

North began his career as a child artist and was best known for portraying Dennis Mitchell on the CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace from 1959 to 1963. His longtime friend and representative, Bonnie Vent, confirmed the news of his death in an email to NBC News.

Laurie Jacobson, another friend and co-actor, shared the news in a joint Facebook post with Jon Provost and Jeanne Russell.

“Jeannie Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. Our dear friend JAY NORTH has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home. As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after...but he did not let it define his life,” the post read.

The Facebook post was accompanied by a couple of pictures of Jay North from his show. The caption continued:

“He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart.’ And we loved him with all of ours… a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last, he is at peace.”

Jay North was married to Cindy Hackney, who survives him, along with his three stepdaughters.

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All you need to know about Jay North’s personal life

Jay North was married three times. According to Times Now, he met his first wife, actress Kathleen Brucher, in January 1972 while performing in the comedy-drama play Butterflies Are Free, which was later adapted into a film. They toured together for over a year and fell in love.

When the couple returned to Los Angeles, they tied the knot in July 1973, only to separate less than a year later in April 1974. Their divorce was finalized in October of that year. The couple did not have any children.

In March 1991, Jay North married his second wife, Rositia, after they met on a blind date. They separated three months later. A year later, in April 1992, Jay North crossed paths with caterer Cindy Hackney at an afterparty for a pediatric AIDS charity event in Gainesville, Florida.

The couple tied the knot in March 1993 and moved to Cindy’s hometown of Lake Butler, Florida, where they spent the rest of their lives together. North became a stepfather to Hackney’s three daughters from a previous relationship. He never had any children of his own.

Jay North started his career as a child actor at the age of 6, portraying the postwar American kid Dennis Mitchell in Dennis the Menace, where his character was a good-natured yet mischievous boy. In a 2017 interview with The Washington Times, the late actor claimed he felt typecast by the show and struggled to find work in Hollywood after it ended.

As a teen, he occasionally appeared in supporting roles in films like Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya and on TV shows such as The Jack Benny Program and The Danny Thomas Show. He spent his adult life as a voice actor in programs such as The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Pebbles, and Bamm-Bamm Show. He had a cameo on The Simpsons and briefly worked as a stuntman.

North also served in the military and worked in the health food industry before becoming a correctional officer in Florida’s juvenile justice system. In collaboration with fellow child artist Paul Petersen, Jay counseled other child actors as part of the organization A Minor Consideration.

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