How many times was John Amos married? Family explored as 'Good Times' actor passes away at 84

Actor John Amos, known for his role as the patriarch on Good Times, has passed away at 84. His son, Kelly Christopher Amos, confirmed the news on October 1 with People, adding he died of natural causes in Los Angeles on August 21, 2024. He wrote:

"It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold... and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor."

Hailing from Newark, New Jersey, Amos began his career as a footballer playing in the Continental League. However, he gained recognition for starring as Gordy Howard, the weatherman, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His other notable acting credits include Roots, The West Wing, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Psych.

Amos was married twice: first to artist and equestrian Noel "Noni" Mickelson from 1965 to 1975 and later to actress Lillian Lehman from 1978 to 1979. He shared two children with Noni, daughter Shannon (1966) and son K. C. (1970).

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John Amos met his first wife, Noni, while attending Colorado State University

Amos grew up in the East Orange neighborhood of New Jersey, graduating from East Orange High School in 1958. He attended Long Beach City College before graduating from Colorado State University (CSU) with a degree in sociology.

According to an Instagram post by Shannon shared in June 2020, Amos met his first wife, Noel Mickelson, while attending CSU. Along with the post, she added a picture of her parents taken during their wedding day, writing:

"For them, it was love at first sight. However, it was a tumultuous time in the world around them."

Referring to the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s that saw the assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Shannon explained she was born at a time when it was still illegal for interracial couples to marry. She continued:

"As a child I didn’t know my parents were different colors. I only saw them as my parents — the two people who loved me. All I knew was their love."

As per a November 2023 article by The Hollywood Reporter, John Amos and Noni moved to New Jersey after their wedding. When Amos wanted to become a professional footballer, his wife supported his dream. Amos had mentioned to the publication:

"Being an artist herself, she understood my reluctance to accept the 9-to-5 world."

Little is known about Noni following her divorce from John Amos. However, according to an October 2024 report by People, she remarried a Disney special-effects engineer. After experiencing medical complications during a hysterectomy, Noni became blind and wheelchair-bound. She passed away sometime in the late 2010s.

John Amos briefly married actress Lillian Lehman, but details of their relationship remain private. Her professional roles included General Hospital, L.A. Law, Macgyver, and Evan Almighty.

Following their divorce, the pair reunited in the 1993 film Night Trap, playing a married couple. Talking to the Montgomery Advertiser in 1992, Lehman stated:

"It’s strange that I happen to be playing my ex-husband’s wife, but it really isn’t that hard because neither of us harbored any bad feelings after our marriage and we both respect each other as actors."

Lehman was shooting the film in Mobile, Alabama, at the time. She continued:

"Still, it was especially strange because neither of us knew we’d be performing with each other until we got to Mobile to start filming. The person who cast us didn’t even realize that John and I had been married."

Both of John Amos' kids have followed in their father's footsteps. K.C. is a filmmaker known for films like Syphon Gun (1995), Demolition Man (1993), and Tamales and Gumbo (2015). Shannon is a writer, producer, and head of Afterglow Multimedia, LLC. Her film credits include The Watermelon Heist.

In the last few years, the siblings were involved in a publicized dispute over the care of their father, both accusing the other of elder abuse. K.C. was arrested in July 2023 for allegedly making threats against Shannon. In December 2023, John Amos told People he believed his family would have a "harmonious relationship at some point." He stated:

"That is my daughter, my first child. I love her... We just have ... what might be best described (as) an acrimonious relationship, but everything heals in time, and the love is still there."

In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Shannon revealed she learned of her father's death through the media. She added that she was "devastated" and left with "many questions." K.C. has not publicly reacted to the development.