Vivian Ridge is best known as the first wife of legendary American painter and television personality Bob Ross. Although Bob became famous around the world through The Joy of Painting, Vivian remained largely outside the public eye. That privacy has left many parts of her life undocumented, including her exact age, height, parents, career, and net worth.
What is clearly known is that Vivian married Bob Ross in 1965, became the mother of his son Steve Ross, and divorced him in 1977.
Quick bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Vivian Ridge |
| Also Known As | Vivian Patricia Ridge / Vicky Ross |
| Famous For | Being Bob Ross’s first wife |
| Nationality | American |
| Age | Not publicly confirmed |
| Date of Birth | Not reliably documented |
| Height | Not publicly verified |
| Profession | Private individual; career not clearly documented |
| Ex-Husband | Bob Ross |
| Marriage | 1965–1977 |
| Children | Robert Stephen “Steve” Ross |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Social Media | No verified official accounts found |
Who Was Vivian Ridge?
Vivian Ridge was an American woman whose public recognition comes primarily from her marriage to Bob Ross. She was part of his life years before he became an internationally recognized television painter.
Unlike Bob, Vivian did not build a public entertainment career. There are few verified interviews, biographies, or records discussing her personal life, which explains why many details reported online remain uncertain.
Vivian Ridge Age
Vivian Ridge’s exact date of birth and age have not been reliably documented in major biographical sources.
Some smaller biography websites provide estimated birth years, but there is not enough dependable evidence to confirm them. Because of this, assigning her a specific age would be misleading.
For a factual profile, her age should be listed as not publicly confirmed rather than estimated.
Early Life and Family
Very little is known about Vivian Ridge’s childhood or early family background. The names of her parents and siblings have not been established by credible public sources.
There is also limited information about where she was raised, where she attended school, or what she did professionally before marrying Bob Ross.
Her best-documented family relationship is with her son, Robert Stephen “Steve” Ross.
Marriage to Bob Ross
Vivian Ridge married Robert Norman Bob Ross in 1965. Biography.com identifies Vivian as Bob’s first wife and confirms that their marriage continued until 1977.
IMDb lists her under the name Vicky Ross and gives her birth name as Vivian Patricia Ridge. It also records a marriage date of May 28, 1965, although that exact date is not as broadly documented as the marriage year itself.
Life With Bob Ross
Much of Vivian and Bob’s marriage took place while Bob was serving in the United States Air Force.
Bob joined the Air Force in 1961 and spent around 20 years in military service. His time stationed in Alaska helped develop his interest in landscapes and painting, years before The Joy of Painting made him famous.
Vivian therefore knew Bob during an important early period of his personal and artistic development.
Vivian Ridge’s Son
Vivian and Bob Ross had one son together, Robert Stephen “Steve” Ross, born in 1966.
Steve eventually followed his father into painting and appeared on episodes of The Joy of Painting. Biography.com confirms that Steve became a painter himself and occasionally worked alongside Bob on the television program.
Bob also had another son, Jimmie, who was born before his marriage to Vivian.
Divorce From Bob Ross
Vivian Ridge and Bob Ross divorced in 1977, approximately twelve years after they married.
Some online sources attach specific reasons to the divorce, but the details are not consistently documented in strong primary sources. For this reason, it is safer to state that their marriage ended in divorce without presenting speculation as fact.
Bob married his second wife, Jane Lee Zanardelli, later in 1977.
Career
Vivian Ridge’s professional career is not clearly documented.
Some websites describe her as an artist or painter, possibly because she was married to Bob Ross and was the mother of Steve Ross. However, established biographies do not provide strong evidence that she maintained a recognized professional art career.
She is therefore most accurately described as a private individual known through her connection to Bob Ross.
Vivian Ridge Height
There is no reliable public source confirming Vivian Ridge’s height.
Measurements found on small celebrity biography websites should be treated cautiously because they are generally published without documentation.
The same applies to details such as her weight, eye color, and other physical measurements. Available photographs suggest little more than her general appearance, and precise statistics cannot responsibly be confirmed.
Physical Appearance
Vivian appears in relatively few publicly circulated photographs compared with Bob Ross.
She was generally pictured with a natural appearance typical of the period in which she and Bob were married. However, detailed claims concerning her hair color, eye color, body measurements, or weight have not been reliably established.
Vivian Ridge Net Worth
Vivian Ridge’s individual net worth has never been publicly disclosed.
There are no dependable financial records showing her salary, assets, investments, property holdings, or divorce settlement. Numbers sometimes published online appear to be speculative estimates.
It is also worth remembering that Vivian divorced Bob in 1977, years before The Joy of Painting turned him into a household name.
Lifestyle
Vivian Ridge appears to have preferred a private lifestyle away from celebrity attention.
After her divorce from Bob Ross, information about her life becomes especially limited. There is little verified evidence regarding later relationships, residences, professional activities, or public appearances.
Her privacy is one of the main reasons modern readers encounter so many conflicting claims about her online.
Social Media
There are no verified Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or X accounts publicly associated with Vivian Ridge.
Her marriage to Bob Ross took place decades before modern social media existed, and there is no reliable evidence that she later developed an official public online presence.
Profiles using similar names should therefore not automatically be assumed to belong to her.
Was She Also Called Vicky Ross?
There is some evidence connecting Vivian Ridge with the name Vicky Ross.
IMDb maintains a profile for Vicky Ross that identifies her birth name as Vivian Patricia Ridge and lists Bob Ross as her former husband and Steve Ross as her child.
Because documentation remains limited, however, “Vivian Ridge” is still the clearest name to use when discussing Bob Ross’s first wife.
Is Vivian Ridge Still Alive?
Vivian Ridge’s current status is another detail that is difficult to verify responsibly.
Reliable mainstream sources do not provide a clearly documented death date. Several online pages offer conflicting information, which makes it inappropriate to present any particular year of death without stronger evidence.
For now, her current living status should be treated as publicly unconfirmed.
Facts About Vivian Ridge
A few facts about Vivian stand out. She married Bob Ross before his television fame, became the mother of painter Steve Ross, spent much of her marriage with Bob during his Air Force career, and largely disappeared from public attention after their divorce.
Her private life has ultimately made her one of the least documented people connected with Bob Ross’s personal history.
Final Thoughts
Vivian Ridge remains an important but private figure in Bob Ross’s story. She was his first wife, shared more than a decade of his early adult life, and was the mother of Steve Ross.
Many personal details about Vivian—including her age, height, net worth, parents, siblings, career, and later life—remain unverified. Separating these unknowns from established facts produces a far more accurate picture than repeating unsupported biography claims.
FAQs
Who was Vivian Ridge?
Vivian Ridge was Bob Ross’s first wife. She was married to the famous painter from 1965 to 1977 and was the mother of Steve Ross, who later became a painter as well.
How old was Vivian Ridge?
Vivian Ridge’s exact age and date of birth are not reliably documented in major public sources, so any specific age found online should be treated carefully.
Did Vivian Ridge and Bob Ross have children?
Yes. Vivian Ridge and Bob Ross had one son together, Robert Stephen “Steve” Ross, who followed his father into painting and appeared on The Joy of Painting.
What was Vivian Ridge’s net worth?
Vivian Ridge’s net worth was never publicly disclosed. There are no reliable financial records confirming her income, assets, or personal wealth.
Is Vivian Ridge still alive?
Her current status is not clearly confirmed by reliable public sources. Different websites make conflicting claims, so it is best not to state a specific death date without stronger evidence.
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