Who Is Stan Cadwallader? The Amazing Life Story of Jim Nabors’ Husband

Stan Cadwallader is a retired Honolulu firefighter who became widely known as the husband of actor and singer Jim Nabors, the star of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. The two met in Hawaii in the mid-1970s and married in Seattle in 2013. Cadwallader never chased fame, so many readers still ask who he is, how he lived, and what he did after Nabors died in 2017. This article answers those questions with facts from news reports and public sources. It also flags the claims that online biographies repeat without proof.

What Are the Key Facts About Stan Cadwallader?

Stan Cadwallader is a retired Honolulu firefighter and the widower of entertainer Jim Nabors.

Detail	Information
Full name	Stan Cadwallader
Known for	Husband of actor and singer Jim Nabors
Birth date	January 28, 1948 (reported by most online biographies, not confirmed by official records)
Birthplace	Honolulu, Hawaii (reported)
Profession	Retired Honolulu firefighter
Met Jim Nabors	Mid-1970s in Hawaii (relationship began in 1975)
Wedding date	January 15, 2013
Wedding venue	Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle, Washington
Time together	About 42 years (38 years before the wedding)
Marital status	Widower since November 30, 2017
Residence	Honolulu, Hawaii (reported)
Net worth	Not verified; online estimates vary widely

Cadwallader has given few interviews. Most of what the public knows comes from news coverage of Nabors’ wedding in 2013 and his death in 2017. Details about Cadwallader’s early life appear mainly on lifestyle websites, so this article labels those details as reported.

Who Is Stan Cadwallader?

Stan Cadwallader is an American former firefighter who stayed out of the public eye until his marriage to Jim Nabors made headlines.

Several biographies say he was born in Honolulu on January 28, 1948. A 2013 report listed his birth year as 1949, and no official record settles the question. If the 1948 date is correct, he turned 78 in 2026.

Cadwallader worked for the Honolulu fire department. He was a firefighter in the city when he met Nabors. Some biographies add that he helped manage Nabors’ business affairs after he retired from firefighting. Those accounts come from secondary sources, so treat them as likely but unconfirmed.

He has not pursued a career in entertainment. He appeared in public mainly as Nabors’ partner, and he spoke to reporters only at the biggest moments of their life together.

How Did Stan Cadwallader Meet Jim Nabors?

Stan Cadwallader met Jim Nabors in Hawaii in the mid-1970s, when Cadwallader worked as a Honolulu firefighter.

Wikipedia, citing news coverage, says the two began dating in 1975. Nabors was already a household name by then. He had played Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show, starred in his own spin-off, and hosted two variety series.

Nabors had vacationed in Hawaii since the 1960s. In 1976 he moved from Bel Air, California, to Honolulu. The move put him in the same city as Cadwallader and gave the couple a base far from Hollywood.

Nabors later said the relationship was deeply personal and that he told almost nobody about it. The couple built their life around home, friends, and routine rather than red carpets.

What Was Life Like for Stan Cadwallader and Jim Nabors in Hawaii?

Stan Cadwallader and Jim Nabors made Hawaii their permanent home, with a residence near Diamond Head in Honolulu and a macadamia plantation on Maui.

Nabors owned the Maui plantation for 25 years and then sold it to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. He kept farming rights to the land and a second home on the property. That arrangement let the couple stay connected to the island after the sale.

Nabors kept working in Hawaii and beyond. He launched The Jim Nabors Polynesian Extravaganza at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, returned to Las Vegas stages in the 1980s, and performed a Christmas show at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu for years.

Cadwallader stayed close to that work without seeking attention. Nabors brought him along to the 1978 Indianapolis 500, where Nabors sang “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Nabors sang that song at the race almost every year from 1972 to 2014.

The couple did not announce their relationship to the press. Their friends and neighbors knew them as a pair, and Nabors’ public image stayed focused on his music and his famous character.

When Did Stan Cadwallader Marry Jim Nabors?

Stan Cadwallader married Jim Nabors on January 15, 2013, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington.

The wedding took place one month after same-sex marriage became legal in Washington State. Nabors was 82 and had been with Cadwallader for 38 years. The couple traveled from Hawaii to marry because Hawaii did not yet recognize same-sex marriage.

The news became public on January 29, 2013, when Hawaii News Now reported the wedding. Nabors told the station he felt no shame about people knowing. He also said the marriage was so personal that he had told almost no one beforehand.

Nabors explained his reasoning plainly. After nearly four decades, he said, the couple had “no rights as a couple” and needed to make their commitment official. At his age, he called marriage the sensible step.

The wedding gave Cadwallader legal standing as Nabors’ spouse. That status mattered when Nabors’ health declined and again when his estate passed to his survivors.

How Did Stan Cadwallader Support Jim Nabors Through Illness?

Stan Cadwallader stayed at Jim Nabors’ side through major health crises, including a liver transplant, heart surgery, and the final year of his life.

Nabors had a liver transplant in 1994 after catching hepatitis B, and he had open-heart surgery in May 2012. A friend, Carol Burnett, helped connect him with a transplant specialist at UCLA. The experience led Nabors to support the American Liver Foundation.

Cadwallader told the Associated Press that Nabors had been in failing health for about a year, and that his immune system stayed weak after the transplant. In late November 2017, the decline sped up.

Nabors entered Queen’s Medical Center on November 22 with shingles, then came home for Thanksgiving and celebrated with about 30 guests. He returned for tests on November 29 and asked his doctors to send him home again.

Nabors died at 2:20 a.m. on November 30, 2017, at his Diamond Head home. He was 87. Cadwallader said Nabors wanted to die at home and got that wish. Cadwallader was with him. Nabors’ ashes were later sprinkled in Honolulu.

What Has Stan Cadwallader Done Since 2017?

Stan Cadwallader has lived privately since Jim Nabors died, and the main public news about him involves the sale of Nabors’ properties.

A probate law blog reports that Cadwallader sold a Nabors property for $12 million, and that he listed a 170-acre Maui property for $4.5 million in October 2019. Other sites identify the first sale as the Diamond Head home in 2018. These sales show that Cadwallader handled a large share of the estate.

Nabors’ will is not public. Reports call Cadwallader the main beneficiary, but no official document in the public record confirms the full terms.

Cadwallader has not started a public career, written a memoir, or given regular interviews. Websites that describe his daily activities rarely name a source, so readers should treat those details with caution.

I found no credible report of his death as of October 2026. He is widely described as living in Hawaii.

What Is Stan Cadwallader’s Net Worth?

No reliable source has confirmed Stan Cadwallader’s net worth.

Online estimates range from about $100,000 to $20 million. Most of those figures come from lifestyle websites that cite no financial records, and several simply repeat each other. A number that appears on many sites is not proof that it is correct.

The larger estimates rest on a real fact. Cadwallader inherited or sold property tied to the Nabors estate, including a home that sold for about $12 million. Property sale prices do not equal personal wealth, because taxes, debts, shared ownership, and other bequests can change what an heir keeps.

His pension from the fire department and any private investments are also unknown. Without public filings, the honest answer is that his net worth is undisclosed.

What Do Online Biographies Get Wrong About Stan Cadwallader?

Many online biographies repeat errors about Stan Cadwallader, mainly about dates, his marital status, and his money.

One site calls him Nabors’ “ex-husband.” That is wrong. The couple stayed together until Nabors died, and Cadwallader is his widower. Another site gives Nabors’ death date as December 30, 2017, when the correct date is November 30.

Some articles link Nabors to actor Rock Hudson and claim the two married. That rumor dates to the early 1970s, and both men said they were never more than casual friends. It has no connection to Cadwallader.

Birth details also vary. The January 28, 1948 date appears widely, but a 2013 report used 1949. Until an official record appears, the safest approach is to say his birth date is reported, not confirmed.

Conclusion

Stan Cadwallader is best remembered as a retired Honolulu firefighter who shared more than four decades with Jim Nabors and married him in 2013. He cared for Nabors through serious illness, stood beside him at the end, and then chose a quiet life. Many details about his early life and wealth remain unverified, so rely on named news sources when you read about him.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stan Cadwallader

1. Who is Stan Cadwallader?

Stan Cadwallader is a retired Honolulu firefighter best known as the husband of actor and singer Jim Nabors. The two met in Hawaii in the mid-1970s and married in Seattle on January 15, 2013. Cadwallader has stayed out of show business and has lived a private life.

2. When did Stan Cadwallader marry Jim Nabors?

Stan Cadwallader married Jim Nabors on January 15, 2013, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington. The ceremony took place about one month after Washington State legalized same-sex marriage. News of the wedding became public on January 29, 2013, when Hawaii News Now reported it.

3. How long were Stan Cadwallader and Jim Nabors together?

They began dating in 1975 and stayed together until Nabors died on November 30, 2017, which makes roughly 42 years. They had been a couple for 38 years when they legally married in 2013. Nabors was 82 years old at the time of the wedding.

4. What did Stan Cadwallader do for a living?

Stan Cadwallader worked as a firefighter in Honolulu. He held that job when he met Jim Nabors in the mid-1970s. Some biographies say he later helped manage Nabors’ business affairs after leaving the fire department, though those details come from secondary sources and no official employment record is public.

5. Is Stan Cadwallader still alive?

No credible news source has reported Stan Cadwallader’s death as of October 2026. He kept a low profile after Jim Nabors died in 2017, and online biographies describe him as living privately in Hawaii. Claims about his current activities rarely include named sources, so treat them cautiously.

6. How old is Stan Cadwallader?

Most online biographies give his birth date as January 28, 1948, which would make him 78 in 2026. A 2013 report listed his birth year as 1949, and no official record confirms either date. Nabors said Cadwallader was in his 60s at the time of their wedding.

7. What is Stan Cadwallader’s net worth?

No reliable source has confirmed Stan Cadwallader’s net worth. Online estimates range from about $100,000 to $20 million, and they rely on guesswork rather than public filings. Reported property sales from the Nabors estate, including a Diamond Head home that sold for about $12 million, explain why larger figures circulate.

8. Where did Jim Nabors die?

Jim Nabors died at 2:20 a.m. on November 30, 2017, at his Diamond Head home in Honolulu. He was 87. Cadwallader was at his side. Nabors had asked to leave the hospital and return home, and Cadwallader said he got that wish.

9. Did Stan Cadwallader inherit Jim Nabors’ estate?

Public reports show Cadwallader handled the sale of Nabors’ properties, which indicates he was a main beneficiary. He sold the Diamond Head home for about $12 million in 2018 and listed a 170-acre Maui property for $4.5 million in October 2019. The will itself is not public, so the full terms are unknown.

10. Why did Stan Cadwallader and Jim Nabors keep their relationship private?

Nabors kept his personal life out of the press for most of his career, and same-sex marriage was not legal anywhere in the United States when the couple met. Nabors said he never made a huge secret of the relationship, but he did not announce it either. Cadwallader attended the 1978 Indianapolis 500 with him.