On Her Late Husband: 'He'd Be Proud of Me'

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE STAR IS HONORING HIS MEMORY – AND LIVING HER BEST LIFE

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Days before Joan Vassos' late husband, John, died of pancreatic cancer in 2021, he shared one of his last wishes with his wife of 32 years: “He said, ‘You need to go out and live. You need to find somebody else. We had a happy marriage. You're a great wife, and I want you to find happiness again,’” she tells In Touch. The Golden Bachelorette — who got engaged to 61-year-old Chock Chapple during the November season finale of the show — is doing exactly that. She and Chock have been busy traveling (they attended the finale of Season 29 of The Bachelor in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in late March) and planning their upcoming wedding. The retired grandmother of four, who’s based in Maryland, also serves as the ambassador of PanCAN Purple Stride, raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer. “John would be proud of me that I’m using my platform to do some good,” she says. Here, Joan talks to In Touch’s Fortune Benatar about missing John and a potential TV wedding.