Actor Ron Ely, the Tarzan of the 60s, passes away

American actor Ron Ely, best known for playing Tarzan in the famous 1960s series, has died at the age of 86 at his home in Los Alamos, California (United States).

Although the singer died on September 29, 2024, his family has chosen not to announce it until now. The news came through The Associated Press.

Photo: APNews / Instagram

Ron Ely's acting career took off in 1966 when he was hired to star in 'Tarzan', the NBC series in which he remained until 1968. He was Tarzan for 57 episodes.

The actor did not use stunt doubles for risky action scenes, which earned him great admiration in the industry. He took advantage of his newfound fame to develop all his talent in both film and television.

After 'Tarzan', Ron Ely starred in another legendary series, 'Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze' (1975). He also had appearances in other well-known dramas like ''Wonder Woman', 'Superboy', 'Hawkeye', and 'The Love Boat'.

Until the mid-90s, Ron Ely maintained a prolific and varied career as an actor. However, he would eventually put it aside permanently to devote himself to another successful career: that of a novel writer.

In the 1990s, he published two books, 'Night Shadows' (1994) and 'East Beach: A Mystery Featuring Jake Sands' (1995), suspense novels that were unexpectedly successful.

Personally, Ron Ely had married Valerie Lundeen, Miss Florida USA 1981, in 1984, with whom he had three children: Kristen, Kaitland, and Cameron.

On October 15, 2019, the Ely family's life was plunged into unspeakable drama when Valerie Lundeen was found dead in the family home. She had been stabbed multiple times.

Another dramatic twist in the family tragedy came when Cameron Ely, the couple's mentally ill son, was shot dead by authorities after being implicated in the murder of his mother. In short, Ron Ely lost his wife and son on the same day.

After that day, Ron Ely remained out of the public eye, discreetly in the background at his home in Los Alamos. There, he passed away in the company of the rest of his family.

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