Ray Teal was a prolific American actor who appeared in hundreds of films and television shows from the 1930s to the 1970s. He was best known for his role as Sheriff Roy Coffee on the popular western series Bonanza, but he also played a variety of other characters, ranging from cops to gangsters to judges. He was admired for his versatility and professionalism, and he worked with some of the most famous stars and directors of his time. But how did Ray Teal die? What was the cause of his death? Here is what we know about his life and his final days.
Early Life and Career
Ray Teal was born on January 12, 1902, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was a talented saxophone player who worked his way through college by leading his own band. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1929, and decided to pursue a career in acting. He started out with small roles in films such as Western Jamboree (1938) and Northwest Passage (1940), and gradually moved up to more prominent parts. He appeared in many genres of films, including westerns, dramas, comedies, and war movies. Some of his notable films include The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), where he played an anti-Semitic bully who gets punched by Dana Andrews, Ace in the Hole (1951), where he played a corrupt sheriff who exploits a trapped miner, and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), where he played one of the judges who presided over the trial of Nazi war criminals.
Television Fame and Bonanza
Ray Teal also had a successful career on television, appearing in dozens of shows from the 1950s to the 1970s. He often played lawmen, such as sheriffs, marshals, and police officers, but he also showed his range by playing villains, farmers, and businessmen. He guest-starred on shows such as The Lone Ranger, Cheyenne, Maverick, The Twilight Zone, and Green Acres. He also had a recurring role as a police officer on the sitcom Where’s Raymond?, later renamed The Ray Bolger Show.
However, his most famous and longest-running role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee on Bonanza, which he played from 1960 to 1972. Bonanza was a hugely popular western series that followed the adventures of the Cartwright family, who owned a large ranch called the Ponderosa in Nevada. Ray Teal played the friendly and loyal sheriff who often helped the Cartwrights with their problems, and sometimes got into trouble himself. He appeared in 99 episodes of the show, and became a familiar and beloved face to millions of viewers. He also developed a close friendship with the main cast members, especially Lorne Greene, who played Ben Cartwright, the patriarch of the family.
Final Years and Death
Ray Teal continued to act until 1974, when he appeared in his last film, The Hanged Man, and his last TV show, The Magical World of Disney. He then retired from acting and spent his remaining years with his wife, Louise Laraway, whom he had married in 1935. They had no children, but they had many friends and relatives who visited them regularly. Ray Teal was also an avid golfer and enjoyed playing the game with his fellow actors and celebrities.
Ray Teal died of natural causes on April 2, 1976, at the age of 74, in Santa Monica, California. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. He left behind a legacy of hundreds of films and TV shows, and a reputation as one of the most versatile and dependable character actors of his era. He was also remembered as a kind and generous man who loved his work and his family. According to IMDb, he once said, “I’ve worked with wonderful people, some of the greatest actors in the world, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
