Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite was an actor, voice artist and political activist who passed away at the age of 85 due to natural causes. He was perhaps best known for his role in "The Waltons." Born 1928 in White Plains, New York, Waite served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946-48. , He studied at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and worked briefly as a social worker. Waite earned a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School and was an ordained Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row, New York City before deciding on an acting career. Waite started his acting career in 1967 in the movie “Cool Hand Luke.” In 1971 he starred in “The Waltons” and was cast in the role of John Walton Sr., a family patriarch who became incredibly popular and had a tremendous influence on Waite's career. In 1990 he ran for Congress three times. He appeared in several hit television shows such as “The Practice, “Bones,” “NCIS,” and “CSI.” He was an Emmy nominee, voice artist, and political activist.