Ron Ely’s cause of death was revealed seven weeks after his death on Sunday, Sept. 29, at the age of 86.
According to his death certificate obtained by TMZ, the Tarzan star died from “end-stage heart disease” at 7:04 p.m. His body was later cremated.
Ely’s daughter Kirsten announced her father’s death in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The caption appeared alongside a series of photos of the pair on her wedding day, with other family members and some sweet snaps from her childhood.
“The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad,” she wrote. “My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went.”
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“The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him,” she continued.
“I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honor that has been. To me, he hung the moon. My father was my world – and what an incredible world he created. He was strong and protective. He was brilliant and ridiculously funny. He was stoic and sensitive. He was dynamic and powerful. He was my role model and inspiration. He was humble and inherently received respect – the respect he so deserved.”
She went on to describe his life story as “one of relentless perserverence, unending dedication to his family and friends, courage to do what was right, and willing sacrifice to facilitate the dreams of those he loved.”
“It was also a story of joy and love – something everyone close to him had the privilege of experiencing,” Kirsten noted. “Once you knew my father’s love, the world grew to be a brighter and more meaningful place. I am doing my best to walk this path of loss with the strength and grace that I know he would want for me. I picking up the pieces of my heart that feel like pieces of him – and cementing those firmly in place before I pick up the rest of the broken bits. It makes me feel like part of him is still here – and I need that – and the world needs that.”
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To conclude, Kirsten said her “greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother,” referring to the 2019 alleged stabbing death of Ely’s wife Valerie at the hands of his son, Cameron, who was later shot and killed by police.
“It is also my greatest sadness because I miss them all so much that it’s etched into my soul,” she wrote in her tribute. “I will proudly carry all of my favorite pieces of them – lovingly cemented into my heart – until we all meet again.”
Ely is best known for starring as the iconic character Tarzan on NBC from 1966 to 1968. He went on to appear on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Wonder Woman.
He also starred in the 1975 film Doc Savage: The Man of Iron and Bronze. His last role before his death was in the 2014 television movie Expecting Amish. His IMDb page also indicates that he was set to be involved with an upcoming project entitled Mesopotamia.
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