The cause of death for Ron Ely, the star of 60’s TV’s Tarzan, who passed away in September at the age of 86, has been revealed.
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The actor, who passed away on September 29, succumbed to “end-stage heart disease,” as noted in his death certificate obtained by TMZ. The certificate also indicated that he died at 7:04 PM, and his body was subsequently cremated.
Ely’s daughter, Kiki, announced the news of her father’s passing on October 23 through an Instagram post.
“The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known. I have lost my dad,” Kiki wrote alongside a series of photos of her father. “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.”
Ron is survived by his daughter, Kaitland, alongside Kiki.
The actor entered the entertainment industry in the 1950s, securing supporting roles on popular TV shows like Father Knows Best, How to Marry a Millionaire, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Ron Ely Lands the Role of Tarzan
However, his career soared to new heights in 1966. That’s when he secured the lead role in NBC’s TV series Tarzan, a contemporary reinterpretation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s jungle tale from 1912. Ely led the series throughout the show’s complete 57-episode run, which concluded in 1968.
After the Tarzan concluded, Ely continued his acting career. He took the lead role in the 1975 action-adventure film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. He also made guest appearances on numerous television shows through the 1990s. His TV credits include popular series like Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and L.A. Law.
After stepping away from acting in the 1990s to focus on raising his family, he made a comeback to television in 2014, starring in the film Expecting Amish.
In his later years, Ely faced a devastating tragedy when his wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, was fatally stabbed in 2019 at their Santa Barbara residence. Responding to a “family disturbance” call, police officers shot and killed Ely’s only son.
Police alleged that Cameron killed his mother. Ely filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. He asserted that Cameron had his hands up when deputies shot him. However, Ely lost the case in 2022 when a jury concluded that law enforcement’s use of deadly force against Cameron Ely was justified and lawful given the circumstances.
Meanwhile, per The New York Times, the star passed away at the home of one of his daughters near Santa Barbara, California.