Ron and Valerie first met after he found fame playing Tarzan on television
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.
Cameron was fatally shot at the scene by authorities with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Ron, who retired from acting in 2001 (apart from a brief appearance in TV movie Expecting Amish in 2014), and his wife Valerie were married for 35 years before her death.
The couple had three children together, Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron.
Who was Ron Ely’s wife Valerie Lundeen?
Ron Ely’s wife was Valerie Lundeen, a devoted mother who once worked as a flight attendant and won Miss Airline International, a beauty pageant for flight attendants, in 1980.
A year later, Valerie was crowned Miss Florida, USA in a beauty pageant in 1981, and she would later compete for the title of Miss USA.
What happened with Ron and Valerie’s son, Cameron Ely?
Valerie was killed on October 15, 2019, when she was stabbed to death by her son, Cameron Ely, at the family home in California.
Officers who were called to the scene in Santa Barbara reported that they found Valerie dead after having suffered ‘multiple stab wounds’.
They found Cameron, who was 30 at the time, outside the home. He was deemed a threat after deputies were unable to ‘gain verbal control of the suspect’ and officers fired shots at him, fatally wounding Cameron and killing him at the scene.
