Alan Hale Jr., an actor who gained fame as the jolly Skipper in the television series ''Gilligan's Island,'' died of cancer of the thymus on Tuesday at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Los Angeles. She said Hale was 68; entertainment reference books indicate he was 71. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Jan. 29 (AP)—Alan Ladd, the film star, was found dead today in his home here, apparently of a heart attack. The actor was a virtual look alike of his noted father, who performed in hundreds of movies, often as the jovial sidekick of such leading men as Errol Flynn. That’s what made our comedy so great.″. Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper): Hale died in 1990 at 68 after a battle with thymus cancer. Alan Hale Jr., a veteran character actor best remembered as the blundering but likable skipper of a charter boat that for three television seasons … Alan Hale Sr. was born on February 10, 1892 (age 58) in Washington, DC, United States. Alan dropped the ‘Jr’ from his name when his father died. Alan Hale Jr. (The Skipper) -- A child actor and son of character actor Alan Hale, Hale teamed up with Denver after Gilligan's Island for the short … The actor asked to be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea Saturday by the Neptune Society. The chubby, jocular actor played a variety of supporting roles in scores of movies, but achieved greater status on television. The senior Hale died in 1950 and his wife, who acted under the name Gretchen Hartman, died in 1979. Alan Hale Jr passed away just 6 months after Backus. If you’re a super Alan Hale Jr. fan, then you might have heard him give that nickname to another television sidekick two years before Gilligan’s Island was ever on the air. Alan Hale was born on February 24, 1953 and died on April 23, 2016. A cartoon version of the show, called ''The New Adventures of Gilligan,'' won more young fans on weekends from 1974 to 1977. In 1964, he married former singer Naomi Ingram, with whom he was with until his death. My heart has been broken and I don’t know what to do, I can’t believe he’s gone. Hale died Tuesday at St. Vincent Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for about a month, said Bonnie Churchill, a family spokeswoman. Alan Hale had a long and prosperous career. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6532 Hollywood Blvd. In 1990, Hale died after suffering from thymus cancer at the young age of 68. But Hale was a marginally known character actor until his ″Gilligan’s Island″ success. Bob Denver, who played the role of Gilligan, said yesterday that Mr. Hale ''was a great guy and a great physical comic.'' Alan has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on February 10, 1892. He became a household name with ''Gilligan's Island,'' a sitcom about a group of zany castaways that was broadcast in prime time from 1964 to 1967. Hale appeared in 65 films but became famous as the captain who led a mismatched band of castaways on ″Gilligan’s Island,″ which blossomed into one of the most often rerun shows in TV history. One of his sons, Brian Alan Hale, died in 2005. Alan Hale 1929 - 2013 WILBRAHAM - Alan Hale died at Baystate Medical Center, Thursday, July 25, 2013 after a brief illness. Los Angeles born and bred, Alan was the son of Alan Hale Sr, a great character actor who played Errol Flynn’s sidekick in numerous movies. ″He was so strong that I could run across the stage and he could catch me like a feather. Alan Hale Jr. was best known for his role on "Gilligan's Island," but he was acting since he was a baby. A Spanish-style mansion behind the Grauman 's Chinese Theater, until Her passing 1998... 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