He was number 73 on the list. We can't believe how many on the list have passed away this month!
Waltons' patriarch Ralph Waite dies at 85
Ralph Waite, who played the kind-and-steady patriarch of a tight-knit rural Southern family on the TV series "The Waltons," died Thursday, his manager said. He was 85.
Waite, who lived in the Palm Springs area, died at midday, manager Alan Mills said. Mills, who did not know the cause of death, said he was taken aback because Waite had been in good health and still working.
Waite appeared last year in episodes of the series "NCIS," in which he played the dad of star Mark Harmon's character. He also appeared in "Bones" and "Days of Our Lives."
"The Waltons," which aired on CBS from 1972 to 1981, starred Waite as John Walton, and Richard Thomas played his oldest son, John-Boy, an aspiring novelist. The gentle family drama was set in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.
His co-stars on Thursday praised both the actor and the man.
"I am devastated to announce the loss of my precious 'papa' Walton, Ralph Waite," said Mary McDonough, who played daughter Erin Walton. "I loved him so much; I know he was so special to all of us. He was like a real father to me. Goodnight Daddy. I love you."
Michael Learned, who played wife Olivia Walton, said she was "devastated" by the death of "a good honest actor and a good honest man."
"He was my spiritual husband," Learned said in a statement. "We loved each other for over forty years. He died a working actor at the top of his game. He was a loving mentor to many and a role model to an entire generation."
The show, which followed the Waltons' triumphs and setbacks through the Great Depression and World War II, was narrated by its rich-voiced creator, Earl Hamner Jr., who based it on his family memories.
It was a TV rarity, a respectful depiction of Southern country life, and proved so popular that it overpowered its hit comedy competition, NBC's "The Flip Wilson Show."
Waite, a native of White Plains, N.Y., served in the U.S. Marines before earning a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School, according to a 2010 profile by The Desert Sun.
He became an ordained Presbyterian minister and then worked at a publishing house, the paper said, before falling under the spell of acting. Waite appeared on the stage before moving onto the big screen with roles in 1967's "Cool Hand Luke" and 1970's "Five Easy Pieces," in which he played the brother of Jack Nicholson's character.
Waite received an Emmy nomination for "The Waltons" and another for his performance in the ABC miniseries "Roots."
Waite's role as a steady TV dad in the CBS drama was in contrast to his personal life that was undercut by alcoholism, Waite told The Desert Sun.
"I was a caring, responsible father to all of these kids. But I was drinking the night before and being a drunk on the side," he said, adding, "I found a way to get sober."
In 1990, Waite ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic challenger to a four-term Republican incumbent for the congressional district that included Riverside, Palm Springs and Palm Desert, where Waite lived.
In 1998, he vied for the congressional seat left open after Republican Sony Bono, another performer who turned to politics, died in a skiing accident. Bono's widow, Mary, won the special election.
Filmography
Film
Cool Hand Luke (1967) as Alibi
A Lovely Way to Die (1968) as Sean Magruder
Last Summer (1969) as Peter's Father (uncredited)
Five Easy Pieces (1970) as Carl Fidelio Dupea
The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) as Detective Cromie
The Sporting Club (1971) as Olson
Lawman (1971) as Jack Dekker
The Grissom Gang (1971) as Mace
Chato's Land (1972) as Elias Hooker
Hot Summer Week (1972) as John
The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972) as Jim Mackay
Trouble Man (1973) as Pete Cockrell
Kid Blue (1973) as Drummer
The Stone Killer (1973) as Mathews
Red Alert (1977, TV movie) as Henry Stone
OHMS (1980, TV movie) as Floyd Wing
On the Nickel (1980) as C.G.
Angel City (1980, TV movie) as Jared Teeter
The Gentleman Bandit (1981, TV movie) as priest Bernard Pagano
Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood (1988) as Narrator
Red Earth, White Earth (1989) as Martin
Crash and Burn (1990) as Lathan Hooks
Desperate Hours (1990)
The Bodyguard (1992) as Herb Farmer
Cliffhanger (1993) as Frank
Sioux City (1994) as Drew McDermott
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) as Shadow (voice)
Timequest (2000) as The Time Traveler
Sunshine State (2002) as Furman Temple
Blessings (2003, TV movie) as Sheriff
Silver City (2004) as Casey Lyle
Letters to God (2010) as Cornelius Perryfield
25 Hill (2011) as Ed
Gabe the Cupid Dog (2012) as R.L. Dutton
Television
Look Up and Live (1966) as Host
The Borgia Stick (1967, TV movie) as Man from Toledo
N.Y.P.D. (1967–1968) as Robert Stryker
Bonanza (1970) "The Lady and the Mark" as Hoby
Nichols (1971) as Sam Burton
The Waltons (1972–1981) as John Walton Sr.
The Thanksgiving Story (1973, TV movie)
The Secret Life of John Chapman (1976, TV movie) as John Chapman
Roots (1977) as Third Mate, Slater
Waiting for Godot (1977, TV movie) as Pozzo
CBS: On the Air (1978) as Himself
Angel City (1980, TV movie) as Jared Teeter
The Gentleman Bandit (1981, TV movie) as Father Bernard Pagano
A Wedding on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
The Mississippi (1983) as Ben Walker Sr.
A Good Sport (1984, TV movie) as Tommy O'Bannon
Growing Pains (1984, TV movie) as Rob
Crime of Innocence (1985, TV movie) as Frank Hayward
Reading Rainbow (1987)
Murder, She Wrote (1989) as DA Paul Robbins
Sparks: The Price of Passion (1990, TV movie) as Orville Lemon
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
Time Trax (1994) as Lamont Carson
Sin & Redemption (1994, TV movie) as Cal Simms
Keys (1994, TV movie) as Dr. C.J. Halligan
A Season of Hope (1995, TV movie) as Sam Hackett
A Walton Wedding (1995, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
Murder One (1996) as Malcolm Dietrich
Orleans (1997) as Otis Leblanc
A Walton Easter (1997, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
The Third Twin (1997, TV movie) as Senator Proust
The Outer Limits (1999) as Gene Morton
Chicken Soup for the Soul (1999) as Dad
Rocket Power (1999) as Doc Freimouth (voice)
The President's Man (2000, TV movie) as President Mathews
All My Children (2001) as Bart
Spirit (2001, TV movie) as Jacob
Blessings (2003, TV movie) as Sheriff
Carnivà le (2003–2005) as Reverend Norman Balthus
The Practice (2004) as Walter Josephson
Cold Case (2007) as Felton Metz
CSI (2008) "Young Man with a Horn" as Sheriff Montgomery
NCIS (2008–2013) as Jackson Gibbs (8 episodes)
The Cleaner (2008) as Jonus Mullins
Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective (2009, TV movie) as Grandpa Ventura
Kickin' It (2011) as Principal Keener (7 episodes)
Days of Our Lives (2009–2014) as Father Matt (recurring) (final appearance)
Grey's Anatomy (2009) "Tainted Obligation" as Irving Waller
Bones (2009–2013) as Hank Booth (3 episodes)
Off the Map (2011) "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" as Abuelito
As Director
1973-1980 The Waltons (TV series)
1980 On the Nickel
1983 The Mississippi (TV series)
As Producer
1984 A Good Sport (executive producer)
As Writer
1980 On the Nickel
Theatre
Marathon '33 (1963)
Blues for Mister Charlie (1964)
Hogan's Goat (play) (1965)
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1967)
Other People's Money (play, before the film) (1991, Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI)
The Young Man From Atlanta (1995)
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