Actor Ron Ely, best known for his role as Tarzan in the 1960s TV series, has died at 86. His final years were marked by tragedy, following the death of his second wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, in 2019. Valerie, 62, a former flight attendant and beauty queen crowned Miss Florida USA in 1981, was fatally stabbed at the family home in Santa Barbara by their son, Cameron Ely. Cameron, 30 at the time, was shot and killed by authorities at the scene.
Ron and Valerie had been married for 35 years and had three children: Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron. They became grandparents in 2018. Ron retired from acting in 2001, with only a brief return in 2014. In 2020, he filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, claiming Cameron was surrendering before being shot.
