Tom Bosley

Thomas Edward Bosley (October 1, 1927 – October 19, 2010) was an American actor, voice artist, television personality, and entertainer. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days, and the title character on the NBC/ABC series Father Dowling Mysteries. He also was featured in a recurring role on Murder, She Wrote. He originated the title role of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway musical Fiorello!, earning the 1960 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. 2Early life Bosley was born in Chicago, the son of Dora (née Heyman) and Benjamin Bosley. Although well known for playing a Catholic priest and Protestant patriarchs, Bosley was actually Jewish. He attended Lake View High School in Chicago. During World War II, Bosley served in the United States Navy. While attending DePaul University, a Catholic university in Chicago, in 1947, he made his stage debut in Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bosley performed at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1949 and 1950 alongside Paul Newma