Ralph Waite

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

Ralph Waite
Waite at the 40th anniversary of The Waltons on September 29, 2012
Born(1928-06-22)June 22, 1928
White Plains, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 13, 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 85)
Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Resting placeWhite Plains Rural Cemetery
Alma materBucknell University and Yale Divinity School
OccupationActor, political activist
Years active1954–2014
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
  • Beverly Waite
    (m. 1951; div. 1966)
  • Kerry Shear Waite
    (m. 1977; div. 1981)
  • Linda East (m. 1982)
Children3
Military career
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Marine Corps

Early life

Waite, the eldest of five children, was born in White Plains, New York on June 22, 1928, to Ralph H. Waite, a construction engineer, and Esther (née Mitchell) Waite.[2] He graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1946. Too young for World War II, Waite served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948, then graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He worked briefly as a social worker. Waite earned a master's degree from Yale University's Divinity School and was an ordained Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row, New York before deciding on an acting career.[3] He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1963 season.[4]

Waite made his Broadway debut in Blues for Mister Charlie, and worked on and off-Broadway steadily throughout the 1960s.[5]

Film work
From The Waltons (1972), L-R: Ralph Waite, Richard Thomas, and Michael Learned

His film work included roles in Cool Hand Luke, Five Easy Pieces, Lawman, The Grissom Gang, Chato's Land and The Stone Killer. His later films included The Bodyguard, the part of Frank the helicopter pilot in the 1993 film Cliffhanger, and as the mysterious time traveler in Timequest (2002).[6] He also voiced Shadow in Homeward Bound II.

Later stage work

Waite scored a personal triumph when he created the role of Will Kidder in the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Young Man from Atlanta, by playwright Horton Foote, in 1995.[7]

Personal life

Waite was married three times, two marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. His eldest daughter, Sharon Waite, died of leukemia when she was 9 years old in 1964.[8] Liam Waite, one of Waite's stepsons, is also an actor. After 50 years away from organized religion, Waite returned in 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California.[3]

Political involvement

Waite ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California as a Democrat on three occasions: In 1990, he challenged veteran GOP incumbent Al McCandless in the Riverside County-based 37th district, losing by five percentage points. In 1998, Waite ran in the special election for the then-Palm Springs-based 44th district left vacant by the death of incumbent Sonny Bono.[9] He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.[10]

On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced then-former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.[11]

Electoral history
Year Office Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1990 U.S House of Representatives
District 37		 Jeffrey Jacobs 29%
Ralph Waite 71%		 103,961 44.8% Bud Mathewson 27%
Al McCandless 73%		 115,469 49.8%
1998 U.S House of Representatives
District 44 (special election)		 Ralph Waite 24,228 28.8% Mary Bono 53,755 64%
1998 U.S House of Representatives
District 39 (general election)		 Ralph Waite 57,697 35.7% Mary Bono 97,013 60.1%

Death

On February 13, 2014, Waite died in Palm Desert, California, of age-related illnesses at age 85.[12] Waite is buried in White Plains Rural Cemetery in New York.

Filmography

Film

Television
  • Look Up and Live (1966) as Host
  • The Borgia Stick (1967, TV movie) as Man from Toledo
  • N.Y.P.D. (1967-1968) as Robert Stryker
  • Bonanza (1970) "The Lady and the Mark" as Hoby
  • Nichols (1971) as Sam Burton
  • The Waltons (1972–1981) as John Walton Sr.
  • The Thanksgiving Story (1973, TV movie)
  • The Secret Life of John Chapman (1976, TV movie) as John Chapman
  • Roots (1977) as Third Mate, Slater
  • Waiting for Godot (1977, TV movie) as Pozzo
  • CBS: On the Air (1978) as Himself
  • Angel City (1980, TV movie) as Jared Teeter
  • The Gentleman Bandit (1981, TV movie) as Father Bernard Pagano
  • A Wedding on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • The Mississippi (1983) as Ben Walker Sr.
  • A Good Sport (1984, TV movie) as Tommy O'Bannon
  • Growing Pains (1984, TV movie) as Rob
  • Crime of Innocence (1985, TV movie) as Frank Hayward
  • Reading Rainbow (1987)
  • Murder, She Wrote (1989) as DA Paul Robbins
  • Sparks: The Price of Passion (1990, TV movie) as Orville Lemon
  • A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • Time Trax (1994) as Lamont Carson
  • Sin & Redemption (1994, TV movie) as Cal Simms
  • Keys (1994, TV movie) as Dr. C.J. Halligan
  • A Season of Hope (1995, TV movie) as Sam Hackett
  • A Walton Wedding (1995, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • Murder One (1996) as Malcolm Dietrich
  • Orleans (1997) as Otis Leblanc
  • A Walton Easter (1997, TV movie) as John Walton Sr.
  • The Third Twin (1997, TV movie) as Senator Proust
  • The Outer Limits (1999) as Gene Morton
  • Chicken Soup for the Soul (1999) as Dad
  • The President's Man (2000, TV movie) as President Mathews
  • All My Children (2001) as Bart
  • Spirit (2001, TV movie) as Jacob
  • Blessings (2003, TV movie) as Sheriff
  • Carnivàle (2003–2005) as Reverend Norman Balthus
  • The Practice (2004) as Walter Josephson
  • Cold Case (2007) as Felton Metz
  • CSI (2008) "Young Man with a Horn" as Sheriff Montgomery
  • NCIS (2008–2013) as Jackson Gibbs (8 episodes)
  • The Cleaner (2008) as Jonus Mullins
  • Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective (2009, TV movie) as Grandpa Ventura
  • Kickin' It (2011) as Principal Keener (7 episodes)
  • Days of Our Lives (2009–2014) as Father Matt (recurring) (final appearance)
  • Grey's Anatomy (2009) "Tainted Obligation" as Irving Waller
  • Bones (2009–2013) as Hank Booth (3 episodes)
  • Off the Map (2011) "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" as Abuelito

As director

As producer
  • A Good Sport (1984) (executive producer)

As writer

Theatre

References
  1. "Ralph Waite will be honored in 'NCIS' season finale". USA Today. February 24, 2014.
  2. "Ralph Waite profile at". Filmreference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  3. "Presbyterian Church (USA) - Ralph Waite finds a home in church". Pcusa.org. August 6, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  4. Peninsula Players 65th Anniversary Program, 1999
  5. Byrge, Duane (February 13, 2014). "'The Waltons' Actor Ralph Waite Dead at 85". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  6. "R.I.P. 'The Waltons' Patriarch Ralph Waite". Deadline Hollywood. February 13, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  7. Canby, Vincent (January 30, 1995). "THEATER REVIEW; Nameless Menace In Latest By Foote". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  8. Interview with Beverly Waite Archived December 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine; accessed May 19, 2014.
  9. Lyman, Rick (February 13, 1998). "On Stage and Off". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  10. "'The Waltons' actor Ralph Waite dies at 85". Fox 5 San Diego. February 14, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  11. Brown Presidential Campaign Announcement, Oct 21 1991
  12. "The Waltons' actor Ralph Waite dies at 85 in Palm Desert." Archived May 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, "Mydesert.com", February 13, 2014
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