He may be the silver fox of the sea, but Captain Lee Rosbach only has eyes for one woman.
The Below Deck star and his wife, Mary Anne, have been married for nearly 50 years and are still living out what can only be described as a real-life fairy tale romance.
Just last month, Lee — who will take on a new role as host of the Oxygen true crime series Deadly Waters with Captain Leepremiering Saturday, June 1 at 9/8c on Oxygen—referred to his wife on social media as his “always beautiful bride.”
How did Captain Lee meet his wife?
Lee and Mary Anne were high school sweethearts — although it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. During a visit to the Valor on Season 5 of Bravo’s Below Deck, where Lee served as captain for 10 Seasons, Mary Anne shared with the crew that they first met through mutual friends.
“My girlfriends all knew him. We all went out one night and I met Lee and he doesn’t even remember meeting me,” she joked. “I made such a good impression.”
Lee may not have remembered the first moment he saw her, but by their second encounter, he was hooked.
“We met again about maybe a month later and then he loved me,” Mary Anne shared.
“After the second time, that was it,” Lee confirmed.
Lee later shared what has made the relationship work all these years.
‘We’ve been married 42 years and after putting up with me and five kids she has the patience of a saint and I happen to be one of those guys who got to marry their best friend,” Lee said on the show.
Captain Lee Rosbach and Mary Anne Rosbach on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on March 16, 2023. Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
As Lee shared with his lead deckhand during a crew dinner, sustaining a marriage also takes effort.
“For a relationship to last a long time you have to work at it,” he said. “I care more about making her happy than what I want to do myself. If she’s got a smile on her face, my day’s complete.”
Does Captain Lee have kids?
Captain Lee and Mary Anne have five children together.
But the decades-long marriage hasn’t been without its share of choppy waters. The couple’s youngest son, Joshua Lee Rosbach, died in July 2019 of a drug overdose after battling his addiction for 20 years.
Lee spoke in front of Congress about the tragedy in 2021 in an effort to urge lawmakers to do more to stop the opioid crisis, according to PEOPLE.
Lee shared that Josh became addicted to “pills” after he suffered a horrific accident and broke both his feet and one of his legs.
"He was in the hospital for a month, and came out with a love for the feeling he got from the opioids he was given in the hospital," he told lawmakers.
For years, his son, who he described as “charming,” “handsome,” and having a “unique soul,” continued to struggle with addiction, but remained close to his parents and lived just blocks away from their Florida house. Then on July 22, 2019, after Lee grew concerned that he couldn’t reach his son, he found him dead in his home sitting on his couch with his faithful dog by his side.
The couple is now focused on doing what they can to help others as they honor their son’s memory and, according to Distractify, have a scholarship in their son’s name at the Awaken Recovery Center in Florida to give others struggling with addiction an opportunity to get free in-house treatment.
As the couple navigates life’s ups and downs together, Lee has made it clear over the years that there’s no one he’d rather have by his side.
“Happy Anniversary to my very best friend in the world. No regrets, I would marry you all over again in a heartbeat,” he wrote in one adorable Facebook post in 2016, alongside a photo of the smiling couple. “Thank you for all you've done for me. I love you to the moon and back. Your Capt forever.”
Deadly Waters with Captain Leesees Captain Lee "steering his ship toward a completely different group of people: criminals, who have committed some of the most chilling murders to have ever taken place on the water. From dream vacations gone wrong, to alleged pirates of the Caribbean and everything in between, these true crime stories are unlike any that take place on land," according to a press release. "Using his nautical expertise, Capt. Lee will unravel the secrets of remarkable homicide investigations on rivers, lakes and even the open seas, and will expose the murky, maritime clues that sunk the perps and ultimately led to their capture. Interviews with victims’ families, boating experts and law enforcement uncover new evidence and disturbing revelations, taking viewers on a dangerous and unforgettable voyage."
WatchDeadly Waters with Captain Leewhen it premieres Saturday, June 1 at 9/8c on Oxygen True Crime.
