The Tarzan star died of “end-stage heart disease” at 7:04 p.m., according to his death certificate acquired by TMZ. His remains were later burned.
Kirsten, Ely’s daughter, confirmed his death in a long Instagram post on Wednesday, October 23. Images of the couple on her wedding day, along with other family members and some pleasant childhood memories, accompanied the comment.
“The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known—and I have lost my dad,” she said on her blog. People referred to my father as a hero. He was an actor, author, coach, mentor, family guy, and leader. He unleashed a huge wave of positive impact wherever he went.
“The impact he had on others was unlike anything I’d ever seen in another person; he was truly magical.” “This is how the world knew him,” she added.
“I knew him as my father, and what a divine privilege it has been. To me, he hung the moon. My father was my universe, and what a fantastic world he built. He was powerful and protective. He was smart and outrageously hilarious. He was both stoic and tender. He was lively and forceful. He was my role model and motivation. He was humble and instinctively gained respect, which he deserved.”
She went on to characterize his tale as “one of relentless perseverance, 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 told me. “Once you knew my father’s love, the world became a brighter, more meaningful place. I’m doing my best to walk this journey of grief with the strength and grace that I know he would desire for me. I pick up the parts of my heart that feel like pieces of him and firmly cement them in place before picking up the rest of the broken bits. It gives me the impression that a piece of him is still present, which I and the world require.
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To summarize, Kirsten stated that her “greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother,” alluding to the 2019 reported stabbing death of Ely’s wife Valerie by his son, Cameron, who was eventually 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 said in her tribute. “I will proudly carry all of my favorite pieces of them—lovingly cemented into my heart—until we all meet again.”
Most people know Ely for his iconic role as Tarzan on NBC from 1966 to 1968. He went on to appear in The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Wonder Woman.
He also appeared in the 1975 movie Doc Savage: The Man of Iron and Bronze. His final role before his death was in the 2014 television film Expecting Amish. His IMDb website also suggests that he was slated to work on the forthcoming production of Mesopotamia.