Ron Ely, the U.S. actor best known for his role as Tarzan in the 1960s television series, has died at the age of 86.
“My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader,” Ely’s daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, wrote in an Instagram post. “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad.”
The series “Tarzan” aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely performed many of his own stunts, reportedly breaking several bones and being attacked by animals.
After retiring from acting in 2001, Ely turned to writing and published two mystery novels. He made a brief return to acting in the 2014 television film “Expecting Amish,” playing an Amish elder.
In the 1980s, Ely appeared in popular television shows such as “The Love Boat” and “Wonder Woman,” featuring Lynda Carter.
Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but the couple divorced two years later. He hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen. They had three children together.
Tragically, Lundeen was stabbed to death at the age of 62 by their son, Cameron, in 2019. Cameron was shot and killed by police at the scene after being deemed a threat.
Ely filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police, but a judge ruled that the officers acted in self-defense.
Ron Ely passed away at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, California, on September 29. In her tribute, his daughter said, “To me, he hung the moon.”
