Ron Ely has died at the age of 86, his daughter has announced (Picture: Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Ron Ely, who played Tarzan in the 1980s TV show, has died at the age of 86.
Ely also played a starring role in Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze and went on to host the telecast of the Miss America pageant.
His daughter Kirsten confirmed the news to Fox News Digital in a statement.
‘The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad,’ she said.
‘My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader.
‘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. This is how the world knew him.
‘I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honor that has been. To me, he hung the moon.’
She continued: ‘My father’s life story was one of relentless perseverance, unending dedication to his family and friends, courage to do what was right, and willing sacrifice to facilitate the dreams of those he loved.
‘It was also a story of joy and love – something everyone close to him had the privilege of experiencing. Once you knew my father’s love, the world grew to be a brighter and more meaningful place.
‘I am doing my best to walk this path of loss with the strength and grace that I know he would want for me,’ she added.
‘I am picking up the pieces of my heart that feel like pieces of him – and cementing those firmly in place before I pick up the rest of the broken bits. It makes me feel like part of him is still here – and I need that – and the world needs that.’
In 2019 Ely’s life turned to tragedy when his wife was stabbed to death by the couple’s son, who police subsequently shot and killed.
Valerie Lundeen, a former Miss Florida pageant winner, was found dead at the couple’s Hope Ranch property in Santa Barbara.
It was later confirmed on Wednesday by the local police department that the suspect was 30-year-old Cameron Ely – Ron and Valerie’s son.
They had three children: Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron.
Born on June 21 1938, Ely began his screen career in the 1958 film Navigator, the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.
In 1996 he won the lead role in the Tarzan TV series, for which he performed his own stunts and was bitten by lions in the process.
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