Ralph Waite, an actor who was best known for playing the wise, adoptive father figure of the Walton family on the long-running television show The Waltons, passed away on 2014-02-13 at the age of 85. Mr. Waite also had a successful acting career in film, television, and theatre. Mr. Waite’s first acting job was as an understudy in a Broadway production of The Wild Duck. He later had television roles in shows such as All in the Family, The Rockford Files, and Roots. He appeared in over forty films, including Crazy in Alabama, Norma Rae, Airport 1975, and Five Minutes to Love. His television movie roles included Mayflower: The Pilgrims’ Adventure, Father Damien, The Great San Francisco Earthquake, and Elvis and Me. Mr. Waite was also an accomplished author. He wrote a book of poetry titled Beyond the White Doors and a novel titled Nighthawks Can’t Cry. He also directed the 1991 film Parenting 101 that was based on his novel Confessions of a Surrogate Father. Mr. Waite was a tireless advocate for several causes, including civil rights, family care, and the rights of marginalized people. He was a minister’s assistant for 20 years and served on the National Advisory Board for Centre for the Analysis of Drug Abuse. He was also an active supporter of the Democratic Party and ran for a congressional seat in California in 2004. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Ralph Waite will be remembered as a talented actor and an advocate of social justice.