It’s not surprising that fans remember every detail about the late Gale Sayers, an NFL legend. But we can vouch that they don’t know much about his second wife, Ardythe Bullard. As Gale’s loving spouse, Ardythe, aka Ardie, stood strong with him through his toughest battle with dementia and remained there until his last breath.
Ardie still garners appreciation for how she supported her husband. Apart from being a caring partner, she has led a fulfilling professional life and contributed much to her community.
If you are worried about where you can get all the information about the veteran’s soulmate, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything covered.
Who is Gale Sayers’ Wife, Ardythe Bullard?
The beautiful Ardie has had various professional engagements. Nevertheless, she is primarily known as a philanthropist. She, independently and along with her husband, supported different causes close to her heart.
Moreover, in 1982, Ardie launched a sports marketing and public relations firm called Sayers Enterprise with her beau. In the same way, in the mid-1980s, the pair successfully ran a computer supplies business.
Furthermore, Ardythe is an artist who graduated from La Salle School of Interior Design in Chicago.
Ardythe Bullard is Gale Sayers’ second wife
The philanthropist got into a relationship with Sayers after he got divorced from his first wife, Linda McNeil. Likewise, the couple got married on December 1, 1973, in Lawrence.
They had a great marriage, and Ardie was by Gale’s side as the best companion every step of the way.
Ardie brought her three children into Gale Sayers’ Life
The deceased footballer is reportedly survived by six children from his two marriages. With the couple’s marriage in 1973, Ardie brought three stepsons into Gale’s life and started a blended family.
Gale had a daughter named Gail Lynne and sons Timothy Sayers and Scott Sayers from his first marriage. Additionally, from her previous relationship, Ardythe’s three sons, Gaylon Bullard, Gary Bullard, and Guy Bullard, harmonized into the Sayers family.
She supported African-American inclusivity along with her husband
Gale has still remained appreciated for his contribution to bringing inclusivity to African-American athletes in the NFL world. Moreover, his generous significant other has contributed to inclusivity along with him.
In 1993, the couple joined a Cincinnati greeting card company called Gibson Greetings to create a card line for African-American consumers to celebrate their community’s pride, heritage, and values.
In the same way, when the partners were living in Wakarusa, Indiana, they supported organizations, including the Cradle, a Chicago-based adoption agency. Later, in 1999, the Cradle launched the Ardythe and Gale Sayers Center for African American Adoption, which focused on adoptive parent recruitment.
Ardie partly blamed Gale’s career for his condition
Everything was going well in Ardie’s life. Unfortunately, in 2013, her soulmate was diagnosed with dementia. Ardie and the Sayers family hadn’t hidden Gale’s condition from close friends and family, but it had not yet been revealed publicly.
But to dispel false information, she disclosed her hubby’s condition in March 2017. Likewise, she partly attributed his football career to his condition. Talking about this, she said:
It wasn’t so much getting hit in the head … It’s just the shaking of the brain when they took him down with the force they play the game in.
Ardythe Bullard supported Gale until the very end
As she shared the experience of her partner’s suffering, it showed how patient Bullard remained all of those years. People used to tell her not to let Gale out of her sight.
She once revealed that Gale had tried to wash his hands with a carpet cleaner. In the same way, the adversity was such that he would barely speak anything in long events, and sometimes he would carry on “halting” conversations.
Apart from all the difficulties, Ardie never stopped being there for him. Furthermore, to help Gale with his condition, she used documentaries to jog his memory and jigsaw puzzles to keep his brain active.
After suffering from dementia for a long time, the legendary Sayers died on September 23, 2020. Sadly, Ardie lost her husband after 47 years of togetherness and love.
Ardie was overwhelmed when she unveiled her late husband’s statute
After Sayers passed away, he was honored with his statues at his alma mater, the University of Kansas and Omaha Central High School. The High School made a moving tribute to the deceased player, offering emotional support and honor to Ardythe and their family.
When the unveiling of the statue took place, Bullard revealed that she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Certainly, it turned out to be bittersweet for her. Likewise, she appreciated the efforts of the committee. Remembering her husband, she mentioned that he would have been honored and humbled by the gesture.