Happy Birthday, "Daddy"

Born: August 26, 1909

He was best known for his roles in several westerns over the course of his career.  It was only fitting that his final part on television would be as the patriarch of a Texas oil family...

From 1958 to 1960 he starred in the program "Resuce 8" and in 1974 he was the star of "The Cowboys."  His guest appearance credits include "Lassie", "The Donna Reed Show", "Wagon Train", "Perry Mason", "Bonanza", "The Lucy Show", "The Bold Ones: The New Doctors", "The F.B.I." and "Gunsmoke" (11 times) and "Cannon." 

In 1978 he took on the role of John Ross "Jock" Ewing, Sr. on the prime time soap opera "Dallas."  As the head of rough tough Ewing clan he had his beloved wife Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) by his side as he dealt with the antics of his eldest son J.R. (Larry Hagman) and his two younger sons Gary (David Ackroyd then Ted Shackelford) and Bobby (Patrick Duffy).  At the same time he found opposition from his life long enemy "Digger" Barnes (David Wayne then Keenan Wynn) and his son Cliff (Ken Kercheval).

During season four the actor was diagnosed with brain cancer but continued to work.  On April 26, 1981 he lost his battle with the deadly disease.  He was 71 years old.  Even though he only appeared in the first 75 episodes it felt as if he was with the show during its entire run....that was thanks to the incredible portrait the was mounted in his honor.  First it hung on the mantle at Southfork and was then moved to the Ewing Oil offices when Miss Ellie (then played briefly by Donna Reed) remarried in 1984.

On what would've been his 102nd birthday...

In Memoriam Remembers:
Jim Davis   

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