---
title: "Mario Andretti’s Wife Dee Ann Dies After Suffering Heart Attack"
description: "Dee Ann Andretti was 75 years old."
date: "2018-07-04"
modified: "2018-07-05"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21944/mario-andrettis-wife-dee-ann-dies-after-suffering-heart-attack"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "People"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "celebrities"
  - "heart attack"
  - "Marco Andretti"
  - "Mario Andretti"
---

# Mario Andretti’s Wife Dee Ann Dies After Suffering Heart Attack

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/07/gettyimages-52241589.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Mario Andretti's wife of 57 years, Dee Ann [Andretti](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19895/mario-andretti-opens-up-about-indycar>), died Monday night after failing to recuperate from a massive heart attack she suffered weeks ago. She was 75 years old.

The passing of Andretti was made public Tuesday, after her grandson, Marco Andretti took to social media to share [a heartfelt message](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21181/former-nascar-driver-john-andretti-faces-cancer-again>) about "Grammy Andretti." The photo, which was posted on the third-generation driver's Instagram account, showed both Dee Ann and Mario enjoying dinner together at a restaurant.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkx7YNhgy8Q

According to [*Racer*](<https://racer.com/2018/07/03/dee-ann-andretti-passes-away/>), a "noticeably distraught" Mario Andretti confirmed that Dee Ann had recently suffered a heart attack and that the days following were crucial for her health. The former Formula 1 champion and Indy 500 winner had to leave her bedside and in intensive care, so he could meet several work commitments at the [Road America](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21366/rolls-royce-wraith-rediscovers-road-america-on-its-68th-anniversary>) IndyCar race two weeks ago.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1014311426029211648

A plethora of members of the [racing community](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20887/andretti-rahal-secretive-on-a-mclaren-full-time-return-to-indycar>) have expressed their condolences to the iconic racing family through social media, including the one venue that means most to the Andrettis, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1014326312700432384

Dee Ann and Mario met when she signed up to be Mario's English language tutor after his arrival from Italy. The couple fell in love and married in 1961 and had three kids together; Michael, Jeff, and Barbie. According to [*The Morning Call*](<https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-mario-andretti-dee-ann-wife-dies-20180704-story.html>), a gathering and mass in honor of Andretti will take place on Friday morning at Holy Family Catholic Church in the family's hometown of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)