'Happy Days' Patriarch Tom Bosley Dies at 83

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 19th 2010 01:29PM

Tom Bosley, a character actor who will forever be known as Howard Cunningham from the hit sitcom 'Happy Days,' died on Tuesday at his home in Palm Springs, his family told TMZ. According to the report, Bosley had been battling a staph infection. He was 83.

Bosley's agent, Sheryl Abrams, told the AP that Bosley died of heart failure at 4AM Tuesday. She says he was also battling lung cancer.

Born in Chicago in 1927, Bosley gravitated to acting after serving in the Navy during World War II and found success in a stage production of 'Our Town' and later at the Woodstock Opera House in Illinois, where he befriended fellow newcomer Paul Newman.

Several small TV and film roles followed (in 'Bewitched,' 'The Mod Squad,' 'Get Smart,' etc.), but in 1974 he landed the role of a lifetime, playing the wise patriarch in 'Happy Days' alongside Ron Howard and Marion Ross, his onscreen wife. The show ran for 11 seasons and ushered in an era of nostalgia for the simpler and less turbulent 1950s.

The actor's flat Chicago accent served him well on the show, as the Cunningham's hailed from Milwaukee, two hours north. Watch a clip:

In 1984, Bosley struck gold again with 'Murder, She Wrote,' playing Sheriff Amos Tupper in the long-running mystery series, starring Angela Lansbury. He then took center stage in his own show, playing the title character in 'Father Downing Mysteries' from 1987 to 1991. He reprised the 'Happy Days' role in a 2005 episode of 'Family Guy.'

His 'Happy Days' co-stars are already reacting to the news. Ron Howard, who played onscreen son Richie Cunningham, tells PEOPLE, "Tom's insight, talent, strength of character and comic timing made him a vital central figure in the 'Happy Days' experience. A great father and husband, and a wonderful artist, Tom led by example, and made us all laugh while he was doing it. My last conversations with Tom reflected the love of life and peace of mind that he always maintained throughout his full and rewarding life. I miss him already.

Henry Winkler tells TMZ that he remembers being blown away by Bosley when he first saw him perform on Broadway. "And then I got to act with him for 10 years and he was great. Tom Bosley was our mentor. He was a true artist ... a great husband, and a fabulous father and grandfather. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten."

Scott Baio adds: "He was a good man who taught me a lot about the business and business itself. He was a professional guy ... I'm sad."

Though he focused mostly on television and theater (his final Broadway appearance was in 'Cabaret' in 2002-03), Bosley did find some success in film and last appeared in the 2010 comedy 'The Back-up Plan' with Jennifer Lopez.

Bosley was the son of a real estate broker father and a concert pianist mother. He opened up about his early life in a 1979 interview with PEOPLE. "We were fairly wealthy until the stock market crashed," he said. "When I was 2, my father lost all his money."

He is survived by his second wife, Patricia Carr, and a daughter, Amy.

Tags: Happy Days, Tom Bosley

Comments

(197)

Tuesday 19 October

By cashman5453

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God speed, Mr. C.

By PANTYsniffer

i always liked this man, he was always smileing, good actor.

By Praise the Lord

I grew up watching Happy Days, later as a grown up I was a little too busy working a few jobs daily and another at night to see the " Father Dowling " series but by the time my children arrived, they adored him as David the Gnome-and I was privledged enough to watch with them since by then hard work paid off and I could stay home. I wish the writer of this article had even mentioned how much he affected countless childrens' lives as the voice of David the Gnome! He didn't disguise it-it sounded just like Mr C, giving advise on the right and wrong things to do and how to be a hard worker and unselfish ! His was a voice we trusted! I really hate to see this happen. He must have been a wonderful man!

By Mandi Pinni

First Barbara Billingsley now Tom. Great people. Tom seemed to be a nice guy on TV. RIP. Good Speed. He will be missed.

Wednesday 20 October

By BTDT

How very sad. RIP Mr. Bosley.

By Bill

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Is it possible, yahoofashion, that you could perhaps sell your garbage somewhere else? Like, maybe at a flea market? Your act is disruptive and terribly lame.

By Melissa

Happy Days was one of my favorite shows of all time. RIP Tom Bosley.

By ShepMuncie

The first film I ever saw him in was " Love With The Proper Stranger " Natalie Wood & Steve McQueen . One of my all time favorites . Rest In Peace Sir

By Michelle

It's "Father Dowling Mysteries"

By jshughes5

Wow, to lose him and Barbara Billingsley in the span of a week is a tremendous loss! On a minor sidenote, there was no Family Guy episode featuring him in 1995. That show did not even premier until 1999.

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

"Henry Winkler tells TMZ that he remembers being blown away by Winkler when he first saw him perform on Broadway." What do you think. Piss poor writing or are they trying to say Fonzie was an egomaniac?

By Angie

Thank you-glad I wasn't the only one that caught the myriad of discrepancies in this article. There WAS a family guy episode that did use Happy Days but that was in 2005. Where is the editor and why is he/she not proofreading these articles before releasing them?

RIP Mr C Thanks for the memories.

By Tony

It says 2005...

By Omarsfan

Please read the article again. It said he reprised the role on an episode in 2005, not 1995.

By Ken

Read the article again, it clearly says 2005.

He reprised the 'Happy Days' role in a 2005 episode of 'Family Guy.'

RIP Tom Bosley

By Sydney

He reprised the 'Happy Days' role in a 2005 episode of 'Family Guy.'

I dont know what you guys read.....

By barbara

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the article says 2005...not 1995

By used96

The article originally said 1995. It has since been corrected. It does, however, still incorrectly call his later show "Father Downing Mysteries" at the time of this posting (9:30 p.m. EST). Popeater, please train your staff to at least learn how to use a search engine and do some basic fact checking.

RIP Mr. C

By sarahb

Wasn't he on Charlies Angels? The man we only heard and never saw? Or am I confusing him with someone else?

By charlie

the voice you heard on "Charlie's Angels" was John Forsythe

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