Dick Van Patten

Richard Vincent Van Patten (December 9, 1928 – June 23, 2015) was an American actor, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the ABC television comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. Van Patten began work as a child actor and was successful on the New York stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager. He worked in radio, on Duffy's Tavern. He later starred in numerous television roles including the long running CBS television series, I Remember Mama and Young Doctor Malone. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films, including Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Spaceballs, Charlton Heston's Soylent Green and the Academy Award-winning Charly. Van Patten was the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods and National Guide Dog Month. 2Early life Richard Vincent Van Patten was born in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York, the son of Richard Byron Van Patten, an interior decorator, and Josephine Rose (née Acerno), who worked in advertising. His mother was of Italian descent, while his father had Dutch and English ancestry. He began work as a model and actor as a child making his Broadway debut at the age of seven. He was successful on the New York City stage, appearing in a dozen theatrical plays before reaching his teen year