Henry Winkler Still Keeps a Small Memento From the Day John Ritter Died

More than two decades after John Ritter’s sudden death, Henry Winkler still owns an ordinary object that carries an extraordinary amount of meaning. The Happy Days star recently revealed that he kept a water bottle from the 8 Simple Rules set on the day he last saw his longtime friend.

According to Remind, the story gives Henry Winkler and John Ritter fans a poignant glimpse into their final hours together. Winkler had arrived to guest star on Ritter’s ABC sitcom on Sept. 11, 2003, never imagining that the unopened bottle he took from the set would become a permanent reminder of the comedian he lost later that night.

Henry Winkler and John Ritter Shared One Final Conversation

Winkler said the bottle still bears the 8 Simple Rules logo and remains unopened, though it has become crumpled with age. He took it while visiting the set at Ritter’s invitation. That afternoon, the two friends spent time reminiscing before going their separate ways to prepare for work.

Their last exchange seemed completely ordinary in the moment. Winkler remembered Ritter sweating and saying that he needed some water, while Winkler replied that he needed to memorize his lines. They walked in opposite directions, and Winkler never saw his friend again. Later that night, someone called to tell him that Ritter had died at 54 after suffering an aortic dissection. Winkler recalled struggling to understand the words when he first heard the news.

John Ritter’s Loss Changed ‘8 Simple Rules’ Forever

Ritter had found another television success with 8 Simple Rules, playing family patriarch Paul Hennessy alongside Katey Sagal, Kaley Cuoco, Amy Davidson, and Martin Spanjers. He had completed the first season and three episodes of Season 2 before his death forced the series to confront his absence directly. The show later wrote Paul’s sudden death into the story as the Hennessy family grieved together.

For Winkler, however, the memories reach far beyond television history. He later remembered Ritter as a consummate professional who kept people laughing and loved the cast around him. The small bottle he saved now captures something no elaborate Hollywood souvenir could: one completely normal workday that unexpectedly became their last. More than 20 years later, the friendship between Henry Winkler and John Ritter survives in stories like this—and in one unopened.