William Christopher played the famous role of Father Mulcahy in the hit series “M*A*S*H.”
Although he passed in 2017, the actor lived a long and happy life with a one-time co-star, raising two beautiful children. The couple seven spent much of their lives trying to support one of their sons with special needs.
But you’ll never believe how the two met…
William’s wife, Barbara, was married for almost 60 years. The two even starred side-by-side on “M*A*S*H” decades after their initial meeting.
William attended Wesleyan University, studying drama and Greek literature. While there, he was set up on a blind date with his now-wife Barbara when he was 25. The two immediately fell for one another, and they were soon married.
The couple chose to adopt their first child, John, in 1966—before William began his stint as Father Mulcahy.
In 1968, the Christophers adopted Ned, their second son, when he was only six weeks old. While Ned appeared happy and healthy at first, the couple began to see that Ned was a bit different from some of the other children.
At the age of 2, for example, he hated being cuddled and struggled to make eye contact with others. He seemed to have trouble saying his own name and refused to talk to visitors or people he did not know well.
While Ned distanced himself socially, he showed great promise and brilliance in a variety of other areas. His parents explained:
“At 2½ he could name all the flags of the world, and he could pick out a tune on the piano. His teachers at nursery school said he was the smartest little boy they had ever seen.”
Still, the previous concerns in addition to Ned’s frequent acting out led the supportive couple to seek out the help of experts. Doctors at the UCLA pediatric neurology department eventually diagnosed the boy as “atypical with autistic features.”
While this diagnosis may seem par for the course to us today, it proved a larger struggle for the parents at the time. Ned was not “atypical” enough for special education programs and schools.
The Christophers spent years taking time for their son to continue getting him tested, to get him into special programs, and to help him to continue to develop in every area of life.
As Ned aged and became a teenager, his fits became more difficult for the family. He would pinch Barbara and would become obsessed with touching things outside. John, the couple’s first son, described this period as the “worst” of their family life.
Countless neurological tests and various programs were doing nothing for the boy. Modern education and understanding of the autism spectrum were not anywhere close to what they are today.
Still, William tried to focus on the positive parts of this time. In a telephone interview with Deseret News about Ned and “M*A*S*H,” the star said:
“It was nice that Ned and M*A*S*H happened together in a way. It made the difficult thing we faced with Ned a little easier.”
The couple eventually had some additional help by 1989, when Ned was able to be placed in the Devereux Foundation. His condition began to improve over time there.
The Christophers remained realistic about the challenges of raising a special needs child, both in private and in public. Thankfully, their family stayed strong throughout this experience.
William was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and passed away, survived by his loving family, at the age of 84 in 2017. In describing his father, John said:
“He was a compassionate man. He was a very thoughtful person.”
Based on how he lived his life, we certainly agree with John about his father. Who would have thought that a blind date so many years ago would lead to such a beautiful family story?
