Ralph Waite, Star of ‘The Waltons,’ Dies at 85

Variety ^ | FEBRUARY 13, 2014 | Carmel Dagan

[cripplecreek]

Baptism on the Waltons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mOCaiQi5Y

[ru4liberty]

Thanks for the theme song. For some reason, a peace comes over me when that music starts to play.

[dandiegirl]

I loved it too. I remember watching the pilot episode with Patricia Neal playing Olivia Walton. Too bad there are no more shows like that.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"Ralph Waite was the youth minister at my church, and he gave me my first Bible when I was seven."

Wow! That is fascinating.

[dandiegirl]

It’s funny that John Ritter played the preacher.

[RS_Rider]

The Homecoming

[clintonh8r]

dead is dead

[12th_Monkey]

RIP

[SuziQ]

I've never seen the Walton's, but his death in Cliffhanger is still one of the most shocking moments in any modern action movie.

His facial expression was one of the best I've ever seen in that situation; horror, confusion, and despair, all at the same time.

[ru4liberty]

I don’t remember him. I haven’t seen all the episodes.

I Googled some stuff about the show and found out that it was filmed just around the corner from where I lived in Burbank and that any scene used for Walton’s Mountain was the actual mountain where I was living! It’s the other side of the mountain from the Hollywood sign. I’ll be aware of that the next time I see a scene depicting Walton’s Mountain.

[ifinnegan]

What you talk in bout, Wills?

[Free Vulcan]

He looked pretty rough the last couple of times he was on NCIS. Kinda wondered how long he had.

[Amberdawn]

Lol!

[hearthwench]

The young woman who plays Bones is a spitting image of my daughter, especially if she does not have thick make-up on in a scene.

Debbi

[tet68]

Then you have a beautiful daughter,
who has a beautiful mother...
t.

[DemforBush]

Aww! I always really liked Waite as an actor. Aside from The Waltons and being Jethro’s dad, he did some nice work on the big screen. He was quite good in Cliffhanger, and his small part in Cool Hand Luke was great.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Machfour]

I enjoyed The Waltons back in the 70s but now can really appreciate thee solid family depicted every week on tv. Thanks to Ralph Waite and his part in the Waltons. I have been to the Walton museum in Nelson County VA. RIP Ralph Waite.