Edith Mack Hirsch is the spouse of a renowned Cuban-American luminary, Desi Arnaz who gained instant fame due to her charitable activities.
She gained recognition after marrying Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, known as Desi Arnaz.
He also co-starred in the celebrated television series ‘I Love Lucy’ as Ricky Ricardo with his former spouse Lucille Ball.
Edith Mack Hirsch’s spouse was not only an actor, but he was also a producer and adept musician who established the Desi Arnaz Orchestra.
Edith Mack Hirsch’s Journey
Born on April 15, 1917 in Illinois, Chicago, Edith Mack Hirsch’s parents christened her Edith Mack McSkimming.
She attended a local school in Illinois, Chicago. Edith had grander aspirations and aspired to pursue them in order to become who she desired to be.
She has always been keen on acquiring new knowledge and journeying to different destinations from an early age. She also found immense joy in aiding others to the fullest extent.
Edith Mack grew up with a strong sense of empathy for others and a profound admiration for nature. She was loved by many people due to her endearing traits.
All the affection and esteem she received from others subsequently enabled her to focus on the path she wished to pursue in her life as she grew up.
Personal Life
Edith Mack Hirsch’s fortune was not always favorable, notwithstanding her humanitarian endeavors, but she endeavored to lead her life to the fullest in her personal life.
She was married twice in her lifetime and experienced one divorce.
Her initial marriage was with Clement L. Hirsch. He was a quite renowned American entrepreneur from St. Louis, Missouri, who was born on April 26, 1914.
During WWII, he served in the United States Marine Corps and actively took part in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Moreover, he was also a well-known proprietor of Thoroughbred racehorses and a founding member of Oak Tree Racing Association.
Edith and Clement were a blissful couple, but their relationship started to falter, and they eventually parted ways in 1963 due to personal reasons.
Edith Mack Hirsch’s Union with Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was one of the prominent stars in Hollywood at the time. Hence, it was his pinnacle in the film industry where women were attracted to him due to his notoriety.
Amidst a sea of beautiful women, only two of them possessed what it took to be Arnaz’s spouse. They were Lucille Ball and Edith nee McSkimming alias Edith Mack Hirsch.
Desi Arnaz’s initial marriage to Lucille Ball was tumultuous due to his alcohol addiction, infidelity, and gambling.
With Ball, Arnaz had two children, Lucie Arnaz who was born in 1951, and Desi Arnaz Jr. who was born in 1953. When they grew up, they followed in their father’s footsteps and commenced working in the film industry.
Conversely, Arnaz’s relationship with Ball began to deteriorate due to his escalating issues with alcohol, gambling, and extramarital affairs.
In addition to personal troubles, Arnaz was also afflicted with diverticulitis, a debilitating illness. In 1960, Arnaz and Ball separated after Ball filed for divorce.
Three years elapsed, and Arnaz’s health was steadily declining. Meanwhile, he crossed paths with Edith Mack Hirsch and fell in love.
They courted for close to six months before getting married. One day, Desi Arnaz proposed to Edith Mack, and she accepted.
On March 2, 1963, the jubilant couple exchanged their vows in a private ceremony and embarked on new beginnings in their lives.
She became his second and final spouse, Edith Hirsch (née McSkimming) for 22 years, while Arnaz drastically minimized his show business pursuits.
Desi, on the other hand, was resolute in making his marriage endure this time to prevent a recurrence of what transpired in his previous marriage.
Edith Mack Hirsch and Desi Arnaz’s marriage did not yield any children from the time they wedded until their demises.
However, Edith became the stepmother to two children from Arnaz’s previous marriage to Lucille Ball, Lucie and Desi.
The resemblance between Edith and Lucille was striking and was noted by many individuals.
“Edie was a remarkable woman in her own right, but she bore a remarkable resemblance to Lucy,” I Love Lucy director William Asher remarked in a 1991 interview.
Both bore a striking resemblance and had their distinctive red hair. Edith was also purportedly described as Lucille Ball’s “doppelgänger” by Asher.
Passing
The union of Desi Arnaz and Edith Mack Hirsch was brought to a close by the merciless grip of death after they lived together for numerous years.
On March 25, 1985, the world awoke to the devastating news of Edith’s demise. She was diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to it.
Edith passed away from cancer at the age of 67 in Del Mar, California. Unfortunately, details regarding the type and stage of cancer she battled have remained unclear.
Subsequently, Arnaz’s children urged him to seek medical assistance for his long-standing alcoholism, which had severely impaired his health at that point.
Arnaz was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1986, shortly after his spouse’s passing. He passed away on December 2, 1986.
Her Legacy Lives On
Edith Mack Hirsch’s life has always been shrouded in secrecy. Nevertheless, she was a well-known philanthropist who hired personnel to aid in the care of those in need.
Edith Mack Hirsch is not a widely recognized name, particularly among the millennials of the twenty-first century.
However, those from the 1960s remember her as the companion of one of the world’s most renowned stars, Desi Arnaz, who has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
