Iconic ‘Tarzan’ actor Ron Ely passes away

US actor Ron Ely, famously known for his portrayal as the title character in the 1960s TV series "Tarzan", has passed away at the age of 86.

Ely's daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her father died September 29 at his home in Los Alamos, California, an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County.

"He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader," Kirsten Ely said in an Instagram post. 

"He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person— there was something truly magical about him."

The "Tarzan" series aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968. During the show's run, Ely sustained multiple injuries and was reportedly attacked by animals while performing many of his own stunts.

During the 1980s, Ely also made appearances in popular television shows like the comedy "The Love Boat" and the action-packed "Wonder Woman," alongside lead actress Lynda Carter.

Ely was host of the "Miss America" pageant in early 1980s, and met Valerie, a Miss Florida, at the event. They married in 1984. The couple had three children, and the "Tarzan" star retired from acting to focus on his family in 2001.

"Late in life I had a young family. I decided to stop acting and work at home, as an author, that way I could be with the kids all through school and be able to attend their sports games and things," he told London's Daily Express in 2013, expressing interest in reentering acting. 

Following his retirement in 2001, Ron Ely transitioned to writing and went on to publish two mystery novels—"Night Shadows" (1994) and "East Beach" (1995), featuring a detective named Jake Sands. He would return briefly in the 2014 TV movie "Expecting Amish."

In 2019, the actor tragically returned to the news when his 62-year-old wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, was stabbed to death at their Santa Barbara home by their 30-year-old son, Cameron Ely, who was subsequently shot and killed by police.

Born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo, he married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but divorced two years later.

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Along with Kirsten Casale Ely, he is survived by daughter Kaitland Ely Sweet.