RAY GIRARDIN of AMHERST, MASS, January 23, 1935 – February 28, 2019
He was not on the list.
Ray Girardin, Actor, took his final bow on Feb. 28, 2019 in Amherst, MA after a mercifully short battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Ray is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marlene, his son Michael of Vancouver, Canada, his beloved baby sister Nancy Benjamin and her husband Gary of Newton, NH, and brother-in-law Norton Juster, also of Amherst.
Ray was predeceased by his son Donny, sister-in-law Jeanne Juster, and younger brothers Allen and Ronald Girardin.
In addition to his immediate family, Ray leaves behind a cousin, Patty Maynard of Northampton as well as numerous nieces and nephews, with a special acknowledgement to Emily Juster and her daughter Tori, who not only adore Ray and Marlene, but who’ve also been steadfast neighbors who never fail to lend a cheerful helping hand whenever needed.
Raymond George Girardin was born Jan. 23, 1935 in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Wakefield HS, followed by a 2-year stint in the Marine Corps. Upon his honorable discharge, Ray attended and graduated from Boston University’s renowned Theater Department. While at B.U., Ray appeared in numerous campus productions, while spending summers performing in countless stock theaters.
After graduation, Ray moved to New York to further his acting career and within a year he gave what is surely the greatest performance of his life by meeting and somehow convincing the beautiful and vivacious Marlene to be his wife. The young newlyweds soon set out for Hollywood, where after a few sparse years of guest appearances on various television series, Ray landed a role that thrust him into living rooms and Soap Opera magazines everywhere…that of the ne’er-do-well Howie Dawson on General Hospital.
Ray relished that part for seven years before deciding to pursue other opportunities, and subsequently accumulated a vast and impressive list of appearances. In television, a few of his credits include Law and Order, multiple episodes of The Rockford Files, Murder, She Wrote, Remington Steele and many others. On the comedy front, Ray’s appearances included The Bob Newhart Show, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, and was a series regular on The Flip Wilson Show.
On the big screen, Ray had featured roles in films including Dad (with Jack Lemmon) Love Affair (Warren Beatty), Loverboy (Patrick Dempsey), as well as co-starring in the films Gospa with Martin Sheen, and in the burgeoning cult favorite Hollywood Man, which he wrote with his friend and co-star, William Smith.
Ray was an “actor’s actor” and a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity for over 50 years. And though he weaned himself from performing after relocating back to the East Coast, he found great joy and a good deal of praise for mentoring and nurturing a new generation of young actors as the director of a slate of successful plays at the Academy Theater at Orleans on Cape Cod.
So “Bravo!” Ray, on a life well-lived and thoroughly enjoyed. And while you’re no longer with us in the flesh, your large and buoyant spirit lives on and will continue to bring smiles to your family and friends on both coasts whenever we think of our “Big Play Ray.”
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1968 Star! Young Reporter uncredited
1976 Hollywood Man Harvey
1980 Marriage Is Alive and Well Airport Cop TV Movie
1980 Where the Ladies Go Jerry TV Movie
1980 Joshua's World Tiny TV Movie
1981 Midnight Offerings Clausen TV Movie
1981 Freedom John TV Movie
1982 Help Wanted: Male Gleason TV Movie
1982 Prime Suspect Ray Embry TV Movie
1982 The Executioner's Song Snyder TV Movie
1983 Deadly Lessons Maitland TV Movie
1983 Max Dugan Returns Umpire
1983 Full House Ken Adams TV Movie
1983 Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Abe – the Bartender TV Movie
1984 The Lonely Guy Henry, Bridge Jumper uncredited
1984 Concrete Beat Phil TV Movie
1984 Silence of the Heart Harris TV Movie
1985 A Reason to Live Tom Yusem TV Movie
1985 Badge of the Assassin FBI Agent King TV Movie
1986 Second Serve Grigsby TV Movie
1986 Long Time Gone Michael Diablo TV Movie
1987 Convicted: A Mother's Story Mr. Anderson TV Movie
1987 Number One with a Bullet Lt. Kaminski
1988 Scandal in a Small Town Don TV Movie
1988 Out of Time Capt. Krones TV Movie
1989 Loverboy Henry
1989 Dad Butcher
1994 Love Affair Wally Tripp
1995 Gospa Father Zrinko Cuvalo
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Andrew Hague 1 episode
1967–1968 Judd, for the Defense Mark Thurman/Induction Lieutenant 2 episodes
1968–1974 General Hospital Howie Dawson unknown episodes
1974–1975 The Rockford Files Ted/Murray Johnson 2 episodes
1975 Gunsmoke Cluff Tobin 1 episode
1976 Switch Victor 1 episode
1977 Police Story Bill Massey 1 episode
1977–1978 Thunder Sam Williams 13 episodes
1978 Barney Miller Vince Licori 1 episode
1978–1981 Happy Days Sgt. Ryan/Big Harold 2 episodes
1978 Kaz 1 episode
1979 From Here to Eternity Sgt. Fred 3 episodes
1980 Skag Moran 1 episode
1980 Stone 1 episode
1980 Beulah Land Captain Ponder 1 episode
1981 The White Shadow Bill Price 1 episode
1982 Mork & Mindy Phil 1 episode
1982 The Greatest American Hero Colonel Nelson 1 episode
1982 Hart to Hart Det. Jack Finnegan 1 episode
1982 The Quest 1 episode
1982 T.J. Hooker Hatfield 1 episode
1982 Benson Danny 1 episode
1983–1986 Remington Steele Lieutenant Benjamin/Jack Merkle 3 episodes
1983 The A-Team Carl Denham 1 episode
1984 Riptide Detective 1 episode
1984 Newhart Hank Dawson 1 episode
1984–1986 Hill Street Blues Harlan/Jerry 2 episodes
1984 Dallas Richard Stevens 1 episode
1984 Hunter Manny Roth 1 episode
1984–1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Martin Grayson/Coach Harmson 2 episodes
1985 Cover Up Paul Adams 1 episode
1985–1988 What's Happening Now!! Duke/Ringmaster 2 episodes
1985 Charlie & Co. Walter Simpson 13 episodes
1986 Melba 1 episode
1986–1987 Murder, She Wrote George Tibbits/Lt. Casey 3 episodes
1986 St. Elsewhere 1 episode
1987 The Magical World of Disney Elmer 1 episode
1987 Hooperman Murphy 1 episode
1987–1991 L.A. Law Detective/Lieutenant Connolly 2 episodes
1987 The Law & Harry McGraw 1 episode
1989 Baywatch Mr. Dietz 1 episode
1990 Capital News Arthur Baranco 1 episode
1991 Married... with Children Mr. Schnick 1 episode
1991 Beverly Hills, 90210 West Beverly Security Force Head 1 episode
1992 The Royal Family Cop No. 1 1 episode
1995 New York Undercover Truck Driver 1 episode
1995–1999 Law & Order Detective Malone/Det. Sal Martel/Nick Follett 3 episodes
1995 New York News Cop 1 episode
1996 Cosby Security Guard 1 episode
