Following the death of Angela Lansbury, another star of the hit series Murder, She Wrote has also passed away.
Ron Masak, who played Sheriff Mort Metzger on the '80s and '90s show, died at age 86 on Oct. 20, nine days after the actress' death at age 96. The actor passed away from natural causes at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif., his granddaughter Kaylie Defilippis told the Hollywood Reporter. One of Masak's daughters also announced the news on his Facebook page.
"This is Ron's daughter and it is with a very heavy and broken heart that today October 20, 2022 our Father Ron Masak passed at the age of 86," she wrote. "He was surrounded by his wife and all six children."
Masak's onscreen acting career spanned more than 60 years. In addition to his role on Murder, She Wrote, which he played on final eight of the show's 12 seasons, Masak appeared on shows such as Columbo, Webster, Falcon Crest and Bewitched.
For 15 years, the actor was also a spokesmodel for Vlasic pickles, voicing an animated, bow-tied stork that sounds a lot like Groucho Marx, THR said, adding that a Hollywood columnist once dubbed Masak "The King of Commercials."
Offscreen, Masak dedicated his time to philanthropy and to his family. "Ron also spent many years playing an integral role in various charity events for Wounded Warriors, Child Help, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Susan G. Komen Foundation, The Jerry Lewis Telethon, and many more," his daughter wrote on Facebook.
She added, "Most importantly, we will remember him as a husband, a Father, a Papa, a Father in Law, and a great friend. He has touched so many lives and will be greatly missed."