Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImageDave Madden's character on The Partridge Family hated kids. Which, of course, made for much better television than if he had liked them.
The actor, who played the young singing group's prickly manager Reuben Kincaid on the 1970s musical sitcom, died Thursday at a hospice center in Florida. He was 82.
"Dave Madden was a great guy & like family to me," tweeted Danny Bonaduce, whose interaction with Madden's character on the show resulted in a lot of laughs. "He taught me to drive a car when I was 10. One of many great memories. I'll truly miss him."
"Oh my goodness, Dave Madden from the Partridge Family passed away today too," wrote Erin Murphy, who played little Tabitha on Bewitched, another classic series that the late actor appeared on over the years. "He was a great guy. Sad day for classic TV fans :-("
Madden served in the Air Force's Special Services unit as an entertainer before graduating from college and then pursuing acting full time.
He made a name for himself on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the 1960s before scoring his role on The Partridge Family. Though best known for playing Kincaid, he's a familiar face from a number of TV series, including Bewitched, Happy Days, The Love Boat, Alice and Fantasy Island.
His final live-action TV credit was an appearance on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch in 1998.
According to reports, he is survived by his wife, Sandra, and two children from a former marriage.