Remembering Tom Bosley

The man who was known as “Mr. C” for eleven years on “Happy Days” (one of the greatest shows ever made) has passed away.

Actor Tom Bosley passed away today at the age of 83. The actor passed away at a Palm Springs-area hospital after a “brief battle” with lung cancer his agent tells E! News.

Bosley had a long career in Hollywood, with cameos on a variety of shows including “The Love Boat” and “That 70s Show.” He starred in “The Father Dowling Mysteries” in the mid 80s for ABC.

But it’s his role as Cunningham patriarch Howard that Bosley is best known for. Bosley is one of the few cast members to appear in virtually every episode of the show’s eleven year run.

At its height, “Happy Days” was one of the most popular shows on TV and has been a staple of syndication for years. As well as making star of Henry Winkler (as one of the greatest TV characters ever created) and Ron Howard, the series even gave rise to the popular term “jump the shark” for when a series has that moment after which the quality declines.

Co-star Henry Winkler told a local Los Angeles radio station that the cast and crew were “a family” and that Bosley was “one of the dads on set.”

“I spoke to him just a few weeks ago, and he seemed to be getting his strength back and doing really well,” Winkler said.

Ron Howard called him “a great father and husband, and a wonderful artist (who) led by example, and made us all laugh while he was doing it.”

Bosley was born in October, 1927, in Chicago and he served in the U.S. Navy during World War Two. He began his career on stage following the war and worked in theater for more than a decade before moving to television.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Carr, a daughter from his first marriage and her children.

Repeats of the popular series are currently airing nightly on new cable outlet, the Hub.