Below Deck: The Truth About Captain Lee Rosbach's Wife, Mary Anne
Below Deck's Captain Lee Rosbach might be the only member of the crew who doesn't hook up with colleagues on the show, chiefly because he's been happily married to wife Mary Anne for over four decades.
In fact, according to Bravo's The Daily Dish, Captain Lee has only ever had a single dalliance with a crew member during his more than 30 years sailing the high seas, and it doesn't really count since that crew member was Mary Anne herself. "She was my chief stew. And the only one," Captain Lee memorably recounted during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
Moreover, Rosbach believes the time the couple spends apart while he is away at work has actually strengthened their marriage rather than weaken it, which is in direct opposition to the reality series' almost resolutely all-single cast.
Captain Lee and Mary Anne's connection was instantaneous... kind of
Captain Lee's love for his wife has been obvious since the Bravo show began, but fans weren't introduced to her properly until season 5. Still, Mary Anne herself remains a bit of a mystery.
She recounted how the two met during an episode of the show, telling the gathered crew members, "My girlfriends knew him. We all went out one night and I met Lee and he doesn't even remember meeting me. I made such a good impression," Mary Anne said, laughing. However, they met up again about a month later and their mutual attraction was clear. "After the second time, that was it," Rosbach recalled. He even described Mary Anne as his best friend during a subsequent confessional.
During dinner with the crew on Below Deck, Captain Lee explained, "For a relationship to last a long time you have to work at it." Rosbach admitted he's more concerned about keeping Mary Anne happy, noting, "If she's got a smile on her face my day is complete."
Captain Lee and Mary Anne have a large family
The Rosbach family lives in Florida and, according to Distractify, Captain Lee owned several restaurants before hitting the high seas. Mary Anne, naturally, supported her husband while he tried to figure out what he wanted to do. Lee wrote about it in a blog post (via Heavy), praising his wife for her unwavering support. "God bless my wife, Mary Anne, for putting up with my dragging her all over the world to finally find out what it was that I wanted to be when I grew up," he said.
Lee and Mary Anne have four sons and one daughter, along with grandchildren. According to The Daily Dish though, the kids have no interest in watching Captain Lee on Below Deck, as he recounted, "Two of my sons have been involved in yachting. And Mary Anne, my wife, actually asked one of them, she said, 'Did you watch Dad's show tonight on TV?' And he went, 'No.' And she goes, 'Why not?' He says, 'Mom, we all worked for Dad, we know who he is, and it's like watching home movies, and we're not in them.'"
Their youngest son, Josh, tragically passed away at just 42 years of age following an opioid overdose. On July 29, 2019, Lee shared a heartbreaking Instagram post in which he conveyed how hard it was for he and his wife, saying, in part, "This past Saturday, my beloved wife Mary Anne and I laid our youngest son, Joshua Lee Rosbach to rest. After a twenty year struggle, he finally succumbed to the demons he fought so long and so hard..." Captain Lee told Page Six that he and Mary Anne are still dealing with the loss on a daily basis, saying, "There's a hole there that can't be filled... As parents, you're not designed to bury your children."
Captain Lee and Mary Anne don't let time apart get them down
They may spend a lot of their time apart, but Captain Lee schooled Andy Cohen during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live (via The Daily Dish), saying that it works for him and Mary Anne. "Actually, I think that is one of the keys to our relationship being successful is the fact that we spend extended periods away from each other. And the old adage 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' is true,'" he explained.
The happy couple seems eager to be together whenever possible, though, and a scroll through Lee's Instagram account is proof of that. Mary Anne frequently accompanies her husband on the road to galas and events, even taking part in a variety of meet-and-greets with her husband. Captain Lee once posted excitedly on Instagram about the "Cocktails with Captain Lee" event in Chicago, writing, "Are you ready Chicago? My lovely bride Mary Anne and I can't wait to meet you in 2 weeks!"
Home is where the heart is for Captain Lee and Mary Anne
The COVID-19 pandemic made life incredibly difficult for everybody, but Captain Lee reassured fans he wasn't letting the situation get him down. Taking to Instagram from his backyard, the Below Deck boss advised, "My bride and I are well. Hope ya'll are as well. Hang in there and keep doing what you are supposed to do and we will see ya'll on the other side of this." Captain Lee subsequently confirmed he and Mary Anne were getting their vaccines accordingly. The happy couple celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in the midst of a nationwide lockdown, sharing a video of them clinking glasses.
Captain Lee captioned the video, "45 and counting, no one I'd rather be with than my best friend." Mary Anne clearly agrees, gushing in the clip, "Wow the time has flown by. We've made it through all the ups and downs. ...I think the best thing about getting through and having a happy marriage is that you always have your best friend by your side, no matter what." They eventually celebrated in style, at the JW Marriott Marco Island, once it was safe to do so.
Captain Lee and Mary Anne continue to honor their son's memory
In July of 2020, Captain Lee opened up to People about how the loss of their son Josh continues to affect his and Mary Anne's life, admitting it never gets any easier because "we're not wired to do this at all. ...We're supposed to die before our children do."
Below Deck's skipper acknowledged, "You might get better coping with it, but it never goes away." He remains concerned about other kids passing away from addiction because "we just don't do a damn thing about it." The Rosbach family even sponsors a sufferer, in Josh's name, at the Awaken Recovery Center in Greenacres, Florida, with a scholarship providing free in-house treatment.
Captain Lee confirmed it's fully paid off, with no timeline for completion. He and Mary Anne even dropped the chosen person off and got them acquainted with their new surroundings. In a further move, Rosbach also confirmed on Instagram he and his wife had redesigned her wedding ring so it's now a heart with Josh's name inscribed, with some of his ashes inside. "This way Mary Anne can keep a part of him with her always," he captioned the image.