Ron Ely, the actor widely remembered for playing Tarzan in the popular 1960s television series, died at the age of 86.
The later years of his life were overshadowed by a devastating family tragedy. In 2019, his wife of 35 years, Valerie Lundeen Ely, died after being fatally stabbed at the family’s Santa Barbara home. Valerie, 62, had previously worked as a flight attendant and had been crowned Miss Florida USA in 1981.
Their son, Cameron Ely, who was 30 at the time, was fatally shot by authorities at the scene.
Ron and Valerie had three children—Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron—and became grandparents in 2018.
Ely stepped away from acting in 2001, making only a brief return to the screen in 2014. In 2020, he filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, alleging that his son had been surrendering when authorities shot him.
