Jack De Mave, an actor who was a television regular in the 1960s and 70s, died on Jan. 16. He was 91.
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De Mave’s friend Vickie Lovett told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor suffered a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day. He died in hospice care in Macon, Georgia.
The actor was born John Francois De Mave on Dec. 8, 1933, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, also named Jack, was a renowned heavyweight boxer and his mother, Helen, was a casting director.
It was through her that De Mave got his first bite from the acting bug. He recalled in a 2019 interview that he met Oscar winner Paul Muni in 1955, after a performance of Inherit the Wind. He told the five-time Best Actor nominee, “I was thinking about maybe becoming an actor, but now I know that’s what I want to do.”
Jack De Mave Was Best Known for Playing Forest Ranger Bob Erickson on Lassie
De Mave’s first credited acting role was a 1966 episode of Surfside 6. Perhaps his best-known role was as Forest Ranger Bob Erickson in CBS’s television series Lassie.
He went on to appear in episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Loving, Days of Our Lives and more, making the rounds as a hunky guest star. He also appeared in films, such as Blindfold, 1776 and The Man Without a Face.
The actor was married to former Hollywood assistant Camille De Mave from 1963 until her death in 2013. He was predeceased in death by his sister, Jachelene De Mave.
De Mave is survived by his beloved Sheltie, Tyler, whom Lovett told THR she has adopted.