Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite
Waite at the 40th anniversary of The Waltons on September 29, 2012
Born(1928-06-22)June 22, 1928
DiedFebruary 13, 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 85)
Resting placeWhite Plains Rural Cemetery
Alma materBucknell University and Yale Divinity School
Occupation(s)Actor, political activist
Years active1954–2014
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Beverly Waite
(m. 1951; div. 1966)
Kerry Shear Waite
(m. 1977; div. 1981)
Linda East
(m. 1982)
Children3

Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his lead role as John Walton Sr. on The Waltons (1972–1981), which he occasionally directed. He later had recurring roles as two other heroic fathers; in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and in Bones, as Seeley Booth's grandfather. Waite had supporting roles in movies such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Grissom Gang (1971), The Bodyguard (1992), and Cliffhanger (1993).[1]

  1. ^ "Ralph Waite will be honored in 'NCIS' season finale". USA Today. February 24, 2014.