Most people who search for Charles Donald Fegert already know one thing about him: he was Barbara Eden’s second husband. But reducing this man to a footnote in a celebrity’s Wikipedia entry misses something genuinely interesting. Fegert was a self-made advertising executive who rose from the South Side of Chicago to become Vice President of Marketing and Advertising at one of America’s most prominent newspapers. The fame he got from marrying a TV icon was, if anything, a distraction from a career he’d spent decades building.
Here’s the full story.
Who Was Charles Donald Fegert?
Charles Donald Fegert was an American advertising executive best known for his successful career in newspaper advertising and for being the former husband of television actress Barbara Eden.
He was born on November 8, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up on the South Side in a working-class household. His father worked as a steelworker, and those early years shaped a disciplined, ambitious mindset that defined his professional life.
He was born to Charles ‘Moon’ Fegert and Virginia A. Henold Coppinger, and had a younger brother, Craig Lewis Fegert, who passed away in June 1980 at age 24.
He attended South Shore High School in Chicago, where he developed social skills and academic focus. After graduating, he enrolled at Loyola University in Chicago and earned his degree in 1955, gaining the business knowledge and communication abilities that would drive his career forward.
A Career Built in Chicago’s Competitive Media Industry
Fegert joined the Chicago Sun-Times as an advertising salesman in 1955, right after college. He didn’t just sell ad space. He built relationships with business owners, created campaigns that worked, and earned a reputation for reliability and results. By 1969, he had moved up to advertising manager, overseeing store and retail advertising.
In 1972, at age 41, Fegert became Vice President of Advertising and Marketing for both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News. This dual role gave him influence over advertising strategies at two of Chicago’s most important newspapers. As VP, he managed large advertising budgets, led creative teams, and developed campaigns that increased revenue. Colleagues remembered his “management by charisma” style.
It was a serious position at a serious time. Print newspapers were still the dominant advertising platform through the 1970s, and running ad strategy across two major city dailies put Fegert at the centre of a multimillion-dollar industry. He wasn’t just a salesman who got lucky; he was the guy clients wanted in the room.
Beyond the newspaper world, Fegert was also well known in Chicago’s social circles. He helped with charity events, managed big ad campaigns, and had stakes in local restaurants and clubs. In the business world of Chicago, people knew who Charles Donald Fegert was.
How Charles Donald Fegert Met Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden met Fegert in Chicago in the mid-1970s, shortly after her divorce from her first spouse, actor Michael Ansara. According to her 2011 memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, she initially disliked his personality and found him to be “rude and aggressive.”
That first impression didn’t stick. Eden warmed up to the advertising executive when he kept sending flowers and calling her frequently. In her memoir, the actress revealed he knew how to treat a lady. Charles had wooed her by sending flowers every morning and evening, always with an embossed card bearing the initial “C” but never a note.
The marketing executive revealed that he had flown over 30 times to see her. At the time, Charles said: “Barbara will make a spectacular wife once I get her in the kitchen.”
That quote tells you something about Fegert’s personality: confident, a little old-fashioned, used to getting what he wanted. It also, in hindsight, tells you something about where the relationship was heading.
Charles and Barbara dated for four years before they married in September 1977.
The Marriage: A Luxury Chicago Life With Cracks Underneath
On September 3, 1977, Charles Donald Fegert married Barbara Eden in Long Grove, Illinois. After the marriage, Eden moved part of her life to Chicago. The couple lived in a luxury Water Tower Place apartment on the city’s famous Magnificent Mile. Their home symbolised both success and prestige in Chicago society.
She moved into their over-two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar condominium that overlooked the Chicago lakefront and featured a mirrored Jacuzzi in their bedroom.
On paper, it looked ideal. A Hollywood star and a Chicago media power player, living in one of the city’s most desirable addresses. The reality was messier.
Before making the big move to the Midwest, Barbara had just lost custody of her son, Matthew Ansara, to her ex-husband Michael. She told the Chicago Tribune in 1989 that she “cried a lot.”
The emotional toll of that loss shadowed the early years of the marriage. And the relationship itself began to show serious fault lines.
Eden later wrote in her memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle that Fegert’s behaviour changed after the wedding. She described him as brilliant and talented but insecure, constantly needing attention. Eden stated that Fegert became involved with people who drank and used drugs. She also made allegations of domestic violence.
While reflecting on their marriage, Barbara noted that even though Charles was brilliant and a talented salesman, he was insecure. She described him as a spoiled child who constantly wanted attention and could not endure not having any.
The Divorce and Life After the Spotlight
The marriage ended in divorce in 1982. Barbara Eden later spoke publicly about personal struggles during that period, including challenges related to alcohol dependency within the relationship.
(Note: some sources cite the divorce as finalised in 1982, others as 1983. The discrepancy likely reflects when the separation occurred versus when the legal proceedings concluded.)
After the split, Fegert did something that is genuinely rare for someone who had briefly occupied a celebrity spotlight: he simply went back to being a private person.
After his divorce from Barbara Eden, Charles Donald Fegert stepped away from the spotlight. He didn’t go back into high-profile business roles. He didn’t chase fame or try to tell his side of the story in public. Instead, Charles chose a quiet and private life. He stayed in Chicago, the city he loved, and focused on spending time with his children and grandchildren.
He never remarried after Barbara. He stayed close to his family and stayed out of the news.
Charles Donald Fegert’s Family and Personal Life
Fegert had four children, including sons Michael and Chip, and a daughter named Lisa. He had been married before meeting Barbara Eden.
His daughter Lisa Fegert described him after his death: “He was always fun. He was the funnest dad and the funnest grandpa, always doing imitations and singing. All the grandchildren were sitting around the table singing songs he taught them.”
That image is quite different from the troubled figure Barbara Eden described in her memoir, which is probably the honest truth about complex people: they can be a difficult spouse and a wonderful grandparent at the same time. Neither version cancels out the other.
Death and Legacy
Charles Donald Fegert was born on November 8, 1930, and died on September 25, 2002. His remains were cremated. He was 71.
He passed away in his sleep in 2002.
His death came just one year after the tragedy that had already touched his former wife’s life. Barbara Eden’s son Matthew had died in 2001 from a drug overdose at age 35. A painful year for everyone connected to that chapter of her story.
As for his professional legacy, Fegert’s influence in key media strategies, especially those at the regional level, played a part in laying the groundwork for modern advertising techniques. His career serves as a case study for aspiring media executives and sales professionals who seek to understand the nuts and bolts of media influence during the late 20th century.
Who Was Barbara Eden, and Why Does This Story Still Matter?
Barbara Eden, born Barbara Jean Morehead on August 23, 1931, is an American retired actress and singer who starred as the title character in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie from 1965 to 1970.
Eden wrote the memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle, published on April 5, 2011 by Crown Archetype, a division of Random House. It debuted at number 14 on the New York Times Best Seller list. That book is the primary reason Fegert’s name has resurfaced consistently in the years since. Eden’s frank account of their marriage made it impossible to forget him, even if he wanted to be forgotten.
As of a June 2025 podcast episode with Jennie Garth’s I Choose Me, the now 94-year-old Barbara Eden remains sharp, candid, and reflective about her life and her career. The man she once called Chuck is gone, but his presence in her story endures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Charles Donald Fegert
Who was Charles Donald Fegert?
Charles Donald Fegert was a Chicago-based advertising executive who served as Vice President of Marketing and Advertising at the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News. He is widely known as Barbara Eden’s second husband.
When did Charles Donald Fegert and Barbara Eden get married?
They married on September 3, 1977, in Long Grove, Illinois, after dating for approximately four years.
Why did Barbara Eden and Charles Fegert divorce?
According to Eden’s memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle, the marriage broke down due to Fegert’s insecurity, substance abuse in his social circle, and allegations of domestic violence. The divorce was finalised around 1982 or 1983.
Did Charles Donald Fegert have children?
Yes. He had at least three children from previous relationships: sons Michael and Chip, and a daughter named Lisa.
When did Charles Donald Fegert die?
He died on September 25, 2002, aged 71, passing away in his sleep. His remains were cremated.
What was Charles Fegert’s net worth?
No verified figure exists in the public record. Given his senior executive roles in major Chicago newspapers and reported investments in real estate and local businesses, he appears to have been financially comfortable, but specific estimates vary across sources and should be treated with caution.
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