Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, voice artist, and political activist, best known for his role as John Walton, Sr. on The Waltons, which he occasionally directed. In addition, Waite appeared in many guest roles on numerous television series, most recently in a recurring role in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Biography

Waite was married three times, two marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. His eldest daughter, Sharon Waite, died of leukemia when she was 9 years old in 1964. Liam Waite, one of Waite's stepsons, is also an actor. After 50 years away from organized religion, Waite returned in 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California.


Political involvement
Waite ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California as a Democrat on three occasions: In 1990, he challenged veteran GOP incumbent Al McCandless in the Riverside County-based 37th district, losing by five percentage points. In 1998, Waite ran in the special election for the then-Palm Springs-based 44th district left vacant by the death of incumbent Sonny Bono. He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.

On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced then-former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.


Electoral history



Year

Office

Democrat

Votes

Pct

Republican

Votes

Pct


1990

U.S House of Representatives
District 37

Jeffrey Jacobs 29%
Ralph Waite 71%

103,961

44.8%

Bud Mathewson 27%
Al McCandless 73%

115,469

49.8%


1998

U.S House of Representatives
District 44 (special election)

Ralph Waite

24,228

28.8%

Mary Bono

53,755

64%


1998

U.S House of Representatives
District 39 (general election)

Ralph Waite

57,697

35.7%

Mary Bono

97,013

Best films