Ronnie Schell, a prolific TV character actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of the amiable Pvt. Duke Slater, pal of Jim Nabors’ hayseed Gomer Pyle on the ’60s sitcom of that name, died of natural causes today at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 94. His death was announced by family. Born Ronald Ralph Schell on December 23, 1931, in Richmond, California, Schell began his show business career while a senior at San Francisco State University when he auditioned at the city’s famed Purple Onion nightclub as a stand-up comedian. Signed for a five month stint, Schell, after...