It’s been nearly two months since the tragic death of actor Ron Ely. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, the actor, best known for NBC TV’s classic 1960s adaptation of Tarzan, succumbed to “end-stage heart disease.” He was 86 years old. It’s also been five years since his wife’s horrific murder by their son.
A Closer Look
Beyond TV’s Tarzan, which aired for two years, Ron Ely was cast in another short-lived, but iconic series. He portrayed Mike Nelson in the syndicated reboot of Sea Hunt, which lasted one season. In the early 1980s, Ely was also the host of Face the Music game show and two Miss America pageants. On the big screen, he appeared in movies like Doc Savage.
As Ely’s daughter Kirsten recently told Forbes.com, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known — and I have lost my dad. My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person — there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him…I knew him as my dad — and what a heaven-sent honor that has been. To me, he hung the moon.”
In 2019, Ely’s son, Cameron, fatally stabbed his mother, Valerie, and was subsequently killed by sheriff’s deputies who responded to a 911 call.
This article originally appeared on Newsbreak.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
