Ken Berry, the actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of Capt. Wilton Parmenter on the TV comedy series “F Troop,” died Saturday at age 85, according to reports.
His death was announced on Facebook by his former wife, actress Jackie Joseph-Lawrence.
“With very deep sorrow, I must inform friends of Ken Berry that he died a short time ago,” she wrote.
Later, Berry’s “F Troop” co-star, Larry Storch, posted a message on Facebook:
“Dear friends. We are sad to let you know our beloved Captain, Mr Ken Berry passed away tonight,” Storch wrote. “We just spoke with Jackie Joseph who confirmed the devastating news. We are at a true loss for words. Ken, we hope you know how much you were loved. Goodnight Captain. We miss you already.”
Berry was also known for roles on “Mayberry RFD,” the spinoff of “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Mama’s Family,” a spinoff of “The Carol Burnett Show.”
But he first achieved fame on “F Troop,” which ran on ABC from 1965 to 1967. Berry’s character was the ill-prepared commanding officer of the fictional Fort Courage during the 1800s, and dealt with scheming subordinate officers as well as a local Indian tribe called the Hekawis.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Berry was born Nov. 3, 1933, in Moline, Ill., and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
His turn toward show business received a boost when actor Leonard Nimoy, of “Star Trek” fame, helped him find work entertaining troops as part of the Special Services Corps, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Aside from his former wife, Berry is survived by their daughter, Jennifer, according to ExtraTV.com. Their son John died of brain cancer in 2016, the report said.
