Entertainment
Esteemed Star Of Waltons and Die Hard Dies Peacefully at Home
Clear Facts
- Esteemed actor Tom Bower, best known for his roles in The Waltons and Die Hard 2, passed away in his sleep on May 30 at his Los Angeles home.
- He is survived by his children, Viveca and Rob, his brother and sister Shirley, and was married to Ursula for 51 years until her passing in August.
- Bower’s final TV role was in the 2023 show Lucky Hank, where he played the character of Henry Devereaux Sr., Bob Odenkirk’s on-screen father.
The cause of Bower’s death is currently unknown. Bower’s brother, Robert Bower, confirmed the news about the actor’s passing.
Bower had a long-standing marriage of 51 years to his wife Ursula, a lawyer, who preceded him in death last August. Surviving him are his children, Viveca and Rob, his brother, and his sister Shirley.
Bower held a memorable role as Dr. Curtis Willard on the popular American television series The Waltons, between 1975 and 1978. His initial appearance on the show was as the pilot Rex Barker in the fourth season’s episode, The Wing Walker, aired in 1975.
The next season saw Bower become a regular cast member, playing Curtis who hires Mary Ellen Walton (played by Judy Norton) as his nurse. The two characters develop a romantic relationship and start a family. However, Bower’s character tragically exited the show in 1978 as a casualty of the Pearl Harbor attack. Surprisingly, the character was found alive in Florida in 1981, but was played by a different actor, Scott Hylands.
Bower explained his departure from the show in a 2022 interview.
“‘I asked for a very small raise, so they sent me to Pearl Harbor. Then, when they decided to bring the character back, washed up on a shore somewhere — which I didn’t think was a great idea anyway — I asked for the same small raise. … They just cast a different actor.’”
His final on-screen appearance was in the 2023 TV show Lucky Hank. In the show, he portrayed Henry Devereaux Sr., the father of Bob Odenkirk’s character. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after its first season.
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