All About Jennifer Garner's Parents, William and Patricia Garner

Jennifer Garner’s parents were married for more than 50 years before William's death in 2024

Jennifer Garner may be a big name in Hollywood but her parents, William and Patricia Garner, helped her stay grounded.

“My parents are just the salt of the Earth,” Jennifer told Kelly Corrigan in 2020. The pair, who were born during the Great Depression and got married in 1965, both grew up with humble beginnings.

William, whom Jennifer has referred to as “the O.G. girl dad,” and Patricia worked hard to give their daughters a better life. They raised Jennifer and her two sisters, Melissa Lynn Garner and Susannah Kay Garner, in West Virginia.

“They rose and it was because of education,” Jennifer said of her parents in conversation with Kerry Washington for a 2021 episode of Street You Grew Up On. “I kind of was always aware of how lucky and how different our lives were because my parents had found their way to college and what it meant for my sisters and me.”

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Jennifer also had the support of William and Patricia as a college student switching her major from chemistry to theater. “My parents, who were spending their life savings to put me through college, never batted an eye,” she said in a 2021 episode of the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby. “They said ... ‘Study what you love.’ ”

She shared her appreciation for her mother and father in an Instagram post in 2022, writing, “Mom… man, did Melissa, Susannah and I hit the parenting jackpot with you and Dad.”

On April 1, 2024, Jennifer shared that her father had died at age 85. "My sisters and I will never be done talking about how wonderful he was, so bear with us," she wrote on Instagram. "But for today I share these memories with my appreciation for the kind and brilliant man, father, and grandfather he was, as well as the loving legacy he left behind."

Here is everything to know about Jennifer Garner’s parents, William and Patricia Garner.

Patricia grew up on a farm

Jennifer’s mother had humble beginnings, growing up on a farm in Locust Grove, Okla.

According to Patricia, who wrote about her family’s property for Southern Living, her parents, Violet Margaret Sayre and Harvey Newton English, purchased the land with a veteran bonus Harvey received of roughly $700 in 1936.

“Dad was a laborer, and almost no one was hiring,” Patricia wrote. “There was no electricity, running water or indoor plumbing ... when I lived there.”

She wasn't embarrassed by her hardships, and Jennifer remembers her mom saying, "I’m never ashamed of going up poor; rather I am amazed by the grace and the dignity that my parents had throughout my childhood.”

In 2017, Jennifer bought the farm. The actress explained to Washington what the land meant to her as a child. “We always went back to my mom’s family farm every year when we were little, and we always had this really warm attachment,” she remembered.

The Golden Globe winner added: “The fact that that is now in my care, my sisters and me, and that we’re getting to use it ... is just the coolest.”

It also helps with her business. The land provides organic squash for Jennifer’s Once Upon a Farm company. “It's the most gorgeous, full-circle thing for me,” she told PEOPLE in 2021.

William lost his father at a young age

William also had a difficult childhood. In addition to financial hardship, he lost his father, with whom he was very close, at a young age.

Jennifer shared her dad’s story in a 2022 birthday post on Instagram, writing, “In my dad, my Grandfather had a best little buddy, his brilliant adorable sidekick. They were two peas in a pod, until my Grandfather lost his life in an accident.”

William then became “man of the house,” at which point Jennifer said he began “working a paper route, setting up pins at the bowling alley [and] helping his mother take care of things at home.”

Under the direction of a group of what Jennifer called “kind men at church,” William eventually became involved with Boy Scouts, and later, headed to college.

William and Patricia were married for more than 50 years

While it’s unclear how William and Patricia met, they were married for almost 60 years, having tied the knot in 1965.

Jennifer wished the pair a happy anniversary in 2024, writing on Instagram, “Happy 59th anniversary to my incredibly sweet and loving parents. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving my sisters and me such a secure, happy start to life.”

Related: Jennifer Garner and John Miller's Relationship Timeline

They welcomed three children

Jennifer is the couple’s middle child. “I have two very strong sisters and my older sister is unequivocally the boss, except ... so is my little sister,” the entrepreneur told Washington in 2021.

Three years before the Save the Children activist arrived on April 17, 1972, William and Patricia welcomed their oldest child, Melissa, whom Jennifer has described as “valedictorian of everything.” “My older sister’s a queen,” Jennifer explained to Washington.

She elaborated in a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, saying, “[Melissa] is perfect. She won the state math competition every single year against Governor [Jay] Rockefeller’s son. She graduated with a 4.0, was head majorette and the prettiest person in the world.”

According to Jennifer, Melissa’s success motivated her to excel, as well. “If I’m totally honest, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the fact that I have this bigger-than-life, incredible older sister,” she told The Independent in 2009. “I was just the middle kid, kind of looking for attention. So that’s what drove me, I think, to do things she wasn’t doing.”

The actress also holds her younger sister, Susannah, who was born three years after her, in high regard. “My little sister’s a badass, too,” she told Washington, noting that she shared a room with both of his sisters at one point or another.

William worked as a chemical engineer

Jennifer revealed in a 2022 birthday tribute to her father that he had been a Union Carbide chemical engineer for close to 40 years prior to his retirement.

In addition to developing and designing chemical manufacturing processes, Jennifer toldCorrigan that William’s job involved a lot of travel. “When I was little my dad ... could be in South Africa,” she recalled. “All the time, he has really traveled the world.”

Patricia went back to school after having children

When Jennifer and her sisters were young, Patricia was a homemaker. She later returned to school to obtain her master’s degree.

"My mom has always said that the one thing she wishes she had done differently is have a job,” Jennifer recalled to Marie Claire in 2007. “She felt like the single-mindedness made her a little nuts sometimes, and she could have used an outlet for herself when we were little.”

As Jennifer and her sisters got older, Patricia took some time for herself. “She ... got her graduate degree when I was little and then she taught at West Virginia State,” Jennifer told Corrigan. “For a long time she taught ... remedial reading.”

Jennifer once surprised her dad with a ride in his childhood car

For William’s 85th birthday, Jennifer gifted her father a spin in the car he grew up with during a 36-hour trip to her hometown in West Virginia.

"Dad’s early birthday surprise: a ride in his childhood car—[a] 1948 Studebaker Champion," the SAG Award winner shared alongside a collage of Instagram photos.

Jennifer also wrote a sweet tribute to William under a throwback photo from his youth to celebrate his milestone birthday.

“Billy Jack Garner is 85 today,” the Alias alum penned. “We love that you are our first call when life throws a curve ball, the guy we hunt down to open stubborn jars, and our favorite hug. We love that you mow the lawn in the dark and always have enough change in your pockets for ice cream. We love that you intimidated our boyfriends and that you and Mom laugh at the same Sunday funnies.”

Jennifer concluded, “You are brave, Dad. Thank you for encouraging us to put bravely out to sea and for being our safe harbor when the wind chases us home. We are so, so lucky to be your girls.”

Patricia started working out at age 80

Patricia loves to stay active. In 2021, Jennifer had her mom, who began working out again with a trainer at the age of 80, lead her in a sweat session that involved light weights, walking, resistance bands and balancing blocks.

“At 83, with the guidance of her beloved trainer Michael Irving, she is an expert,” the Daredevil actress captioned a Facebook video of their workout.

In the clip, Patricia shares her routine with her middle child. “I do it at home and watch HGTV,” she says.

Despite her impressive moves, Patricia wasn’t always fitness-inclined. “I would make straight A’s in college and a C in my one hour of phys ed,” she admitted to Jennifer, who then reminded her that she’s probably “in a lot better shape” than the people she went to college with.

Jennifer asked her dad before she pierced her ears

Jennifer refrained from getting her ears pierced until the age of 48 because she didn't want to disappoint her father.

“My dad was very strict,” she said in a 2021 episode of the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. “Garner girls did not have their ears pierced ... We didn’t wear makeup, we didn’t have our nails painted, we were very good girls.”

Jennifer finally pierced her ears for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. She didn’t do it without taking William’s feelings into account, however. “I called my parents and said, ‘Dad, I’m gonna pierce my ears.’ He said, ‘Okay, Jennifer.’ ”

The 13 Going on 30 star also discussed her decision with Ellen DeGeneres, saying that she had worried about what her dad might think of them. “I was afraid that my dad would still not like it and he was kind of like 'Jennifer, I love anything you do,' so I was like 'Okay,' " she said in 2021.

Patricia makes regular cameos on Jennifer’s Pretend Cooking Show

Jennifer’s fans have long enjoyed her Pretend Cooking Show Instagram series, which shows the mother of three attempting to follow cooking and baking recipes, often with hilarious results.

Patricia regularly makes cameos in the videos, even giving her daughter a hard time on occasion.

For Mother’s Day in 2022, Jennifer presented a special edition of the show in which she made a blueberry buckle dessert while Patricia looked on. More than just watching, Patricia took the opportunity to remind her daughter several times that she no longer bakes. “Oh, Mom! Just go a long with it for a second! Geez Louise,” Jennifer said, laughing.

Patricia also joined Jennifer on the show in person in July 2021 and 2023, when she helped the movie star make her famous peach chiffon pie. “Even when you’ve memorized something, it’s good to check the original recipe,” Patrica advised.

William costarred in a commercial with Jennifer

As a spokesperson for Capital One, Jennifer regularly stars in the company’s commercials. In 2016, however, she got to film a special edition that costarred her father.

The spot begins with Jennifer telling a story about her dad calling up Capital One to ask for the “Jennifer Garner card,” aka the Venture card, which she says is “such a dad thing to do.”

When an employee asked if William was related to the film star, Jennifer said her dad replied, “As a matter of fact, she is my middle daughter.”

William then enters the shot, putting his arm around her and saying the company’s famous line — “What’s in your wallet?” — after asking her permission.

Though Jennifer praises his performance, saying, “Nice job, dad,” it apparently took a few tries. “If only in my childhood I could have known there would be a moment when my dad would flub a take,” she said in another clip.

Willam and Patricia traveled to all 50 states and 7 continents

Despite her family’s financial strife, Patricia always had a strong urge to travel. “In Life magazines, she saw pictures of other places and she just wanted to go,” Jennifer told Corrigan in 2020.

According to the Elektra actress, her mother managed to leave her family farm while earning just $1 a day as a babysitter. “She found an ad to be a Girl Scout counselor in Maine, and she applied and got on a bus and went to Maine,” Jennifer said.

Patricia has continued to travel throughout her life with William by her side. “Early this year, with a long dreamed of trip to Antarctica, my parents realized a lifelong goal: they have visited all 50 states and all 7 continents,” Jennifer wrote on Facebook in 2020.

Jennifer honored her "gentle" father after his death in March 2024

William died on March 30, 2024, at age 85. A couple of days later, Jennifer posted a tribute to her father's life on Instagram.

"We were with him, singing Amazing Grace as he left us (did we carry him across or scare him away— valid question.) While there is no tragedy in the death of an 85 year old man who lived a healthy, wonderful life, I know grief is unavoidable, waiting around unexpected corners," she wrote alongside a carousel of throwback images.

"We are grateful for Dad’s gentle demeanor and quiet strength," she added. "For how he teased with a mischievous smile, and for the way he invented the role of all in, ever patient girl dad. We are grateful for his work ethic, leadership and faith."

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