Ron Ely, a TV Tarzan Who Suffered a Shocking Family Tragedy in Real Life, Dies at 86

Ron Ely, who is remembered for his turn as Tarzan on TV in the '60s — and who weathered a devastating personal crisis when his wife was killed by their son — died October 23 at 86.

His daughter confirmed his passing with a heartfelt tribute that began, "The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known - and I have lost my dad."

She went on, "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."

Ely was born June 21, 1938, in Hereford, Texas. He had small roles in films including the iconic "South Pacific" (1958) ahead of his big break playing Tarzan in the NBC TV adaptation of the enduringly popular story. "Tarzan" ran from 1966-1968 on NBC, and Ely — who did many of his own stunts — emerged bruised and battered, with multiple broken bones and even some lion bites along the way.

Later, he was the star of "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze," which came and went in 1975, and he was the host of Miss America in 1980 and 1981.

He worked on TV from 1959 until the early 2000s, making guest appearances on everything from "Father Knows Best" (1959) to "Fantasy Island" (1979-1984) and "The Love Boat" (1980-1981) to "Superboy" (1991), playing the Man of Steel on the latter.

He had just one acting credit in the past 22 years, in the TV movie "Expecting Amish" (2014).

After his career in front of the camera ended, Ely published mystery novels.

Ely's first marriage ended in divorce. In 1984, he wed Miss Florida USA Valerie Lundeen, with whom he had three kids. Tragically, his wife was stabbed to death in 2019 at the Hope Ranch residential community where she and Ely lived in Santa Barbara, California. Their son, Cameron, who was later determined to have been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, was the killer — and was shot dead by police responding to the chaotic scene.

Ely is survived by two children.