Ron and Valerie first met after he found fame playing Tarzan on television
Ron Ely’s wife, Valerie Lundeen, hugging him around his shoulders and smiling.
Actor Ron Ely, who is best known for being the star of the 1960s Tarzan TV series, has died at the age of 86.
His final years were shrouded in tragedy, and his death comes five years after his second wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, was killed in tragic circumstances at the couple’s home in California.
The former flight attendant was fatally stabbed by their son, Cameron Ely, in the family’s home in Santa Barbara, at the age of 62.
Ron Ely, renowned for portraying Tarzan in the 1960s television series, faced profound personal tragedies in his later years. In October 2019, his wife of 35 years, Valerie Lundeen Ely—a former Miss Florida USA—was fatally stabbed by their 30-year-old son, Cameron, at their Santa Barbara home. Responding officers shot and killed Cameron, alleging he posed a threat. Ely disputed this account, filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, which was ultimately dismissed. Despite these hardships, Ely’s earlier career was marked by success; he performed his own stunts as Tarzan and hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s. He passed away on September 29, 2024, at 86.
