FIRST LOVE
John Amos’ ex-wife Noel J. Mickelson: Good Times & Coming To America star’s marriage & divorce details
The two wed even before interracial marriages were made legal in some states
ICONIC actor John Amos, known for the 1970s sitcom Good Times, has died aged 84.
During his successful life, the Coming To America star was married twice, first to camera-shy Noel J. Mickelson.
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Meet Noel J. Mickelson
Noel was born in Iowa and grew up to be a carpenter and equestrian.
Her daughter Shannon shared on Instagram that she was of "Danish and Ashkenazi Jewish" descent.
Noel and John met while attending college at Colorado State University when she was majoring in fine arts, which Shannon says was "love at first sight".
John and Noel's marriage and divorce
The lovebirds married in 1965 - two years before the Supreme Court's landmark decision which legalized interracial marriage.
Their daughter Shannon spoke of their interracial marriage on social media, calling it "a tumultuous time in the world around them".
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
Shannon Amos
She said: "I was born a year before my parents would be recognized as a legal couple in 16 states.
"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."
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After they graduated, the couple moved to John's home-place of New Jersey and began working as social workers.
Noel reportedly encouraged John's dream of being a pro football player.
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The actor then entered the Greenwich Village stand-up comedy scene before going into the entertainment sector - all with Noel by his side.
John said to "Being an artist herself, she understood my reluctance to accept the 9-to-5 world."
The pair's first child, Shannon, was born in New Jersey in 1966 but they soon moved to Los Angeles when John booked TV commercials.
This soon turned into many sitcoms including his role as weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and James Evans Sr. on Good Times.
She was my rock, offering a safe space to be with my emotions. I miss the warmth of her embrace so much
Shannon Amos
The Amos family then raised Shannon and their youngest child Kelly Christopher, known as K.C, in Sylmar after he was born in 1970.
With Noel being an avid equestrian, the couple raised the kids on a property with horses.
Shannon was nine years old when her parents separated in 1975, and recalls Noel having "a nervous breakdown".
Noel even had a restraining order against John, claims.
Details of their divorce have never been shared publicly.
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Noel J. Mickelson's life after the divorce
Little was known of Noel's life after the divorce, with her kids Shannon and K.C. sharing various pics on social media.
Shannon told The Hollywood Reporter that Noel remarried to a Disney special-effects engineer.
But, when living on a California ranch with her new husband, she experienced medical complications during a hysterectomy.
This tragically led to her becoming blind and a quadriplegic.
In 2014, K.C. posted a photo of himself and Shannon with an unwell Noel.
Noel's second husband cared for her until she sadly died in 2016.
The children have continued to keep her in their memories by posting various photos with heartwarming captions.
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Shannon posted on Instagram in February 2024: "She was my rock, offering a safe space to be with my emotions. I miss the warmth of her embrace so much."
John died eight years after his first wife on August 21, 2024.
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