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Goodbye Tarzan: Ron Ely Dies at 86

Entertainment Desk

  24 Oct 2024, 17:39
Photo: Getty Images

Ron Ely, the American actor best known for his role as 'Tarzan' in the 1960s TV series, passed away on September 29 at the age of 86. The series, which aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, saw Ely performing his own stunts, during which he suffered multiple injuries and was reportedly attacked by animals on set.

Following his retirement from acting in 2001, Ely pursued a writing career, publishing two mystery novels. He briefly returned to acting in 2014, playing an Amish elder in the TV movie Expecting Amish. During the 1980s, Ely also appeared in popular shows such as The Love Boat and Wonder Woman alongside Lynda Carter.

Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but the couple divorced two years later. He later met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen, while hosting the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s. Together, they had three children.

Tragedy struck in 2019 when Lundeen was fatally stabbed by their son, Cameron, at their California home. Police shot Cameron dead, claiming self-defense after assessing him as a threat. Ely later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officers, though the court ruled in favor of the police.

Ely passed away at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, on September 29. Announcing his death on Instagram, his daughter described him as a hero, adding: "He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader... To me, he hung the moon."

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