Ned Wertimer, the veteran character actor best known for playing money-grubbing doorman Ralph Hart on The Jeffersons, has died. He was 89.

His longtime manager, Brad Lemack, told The Hollywood Reporter that Wertimer passed away on Jan. 2 at the Sherman Valley Health Care Center in California due to complications he suffered following a fall in his Burbank home in November.

Appearing as Ralph in 51 of the sitcom's 253 episodes, the thesp garnered plenty of laughs badgering Sherman Hemsley's George Jefferson for big tips, for which he was hated by Jefferson and the other residents in their East Side high-rise.

But despite his greedy demeanor, in one particularly poignant episode George actually paid Ralph $100 as a thank-you for cluing him in that the dry-cleaning entrepreneur had accidentally set his son Lionel up with a hooker.

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., on Oct. 27, 1923, Wertimer got his start as an assistant stage manager before turning to acting.

In 1950, he was cast as a police officer in the TV series Rocky King, Detective. Other character parts soon followed on such shows as Car 54, Where Are You?, Get Smart, Gunsmoke, I Dream of Jeannie, Mary Tyler Moore and Love, American Style.

During the '70s and '80s, he appeared on a string of beloved sitcom classics including Happy Days, Welcome Back, Kotter, WKRP in Cincinnati, Mork & Mindy and 227. After taking the '90s off, he returned to the spotlight in 2002 with a guest shot on The Practice. His final role was playing a singing gallows pirate in 2007's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

He is survived by his wife, a sister-in-law, a niece and three nephews.

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RIP

Only Ms. Gibbs aka Florence is the last one alive, sad news indeed but I hope his soul is at peace.

UncleGrandpa said:

Only Ms. Gibbs aka Florence is the last one alive, sad news indeed but I hope his soul is at peace.

The one who plays Jenny is still alive

Damn. Two survivors of that show now.

RIP...

Timmy84 said:

Damn. Two survivors of that show now.

RIP...

The 2nd Lionel is still alive

kpowers said:

Timmy84 said:

Damn. Two survivors of that show now.

RIP...

The 2nd Lionel is still alive

The guy who played Allan Willis is still alive. (Tom & Helen's only son)

And the guy who played Marcus Garvey Henderson is still alive. (George's employee at the cleaners)

Also the guy who played Hugo is still alive. (George's bodyguard)

Also the guy who played Charlie is still alive (bartender/owner of the bar in the apartment complex)

And of course the guy who played Jimmy (conned money from George & Louise for years) is still alive, he can be seen every week on Two Broke Girls.

[Edited 1/10/13 14:54pm]

Sad to hear. I was watching "The Jeffersons" the other night and wondered if he was still alive...

Did Franklin Cover (Tom Willis) pass away also?

I was wondering about him the other day when I was watching my "Jeffersons" DVD and realized that almost everyone on that show is dead except for Florence, one of the Lionels and Jenny. It was really depressing realizing that damn near everyone that was worth a damn in the entertainment world has gone because they sure as hell aren't being replaced by anybody new these days that's worth a damn.

I wonder if Mr. Bentley is still alive.

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[Edited 1/10/13 15:01pm]

Yes..Paul Benedict (Bentley) did pass away a few years ago.

vainandy said:

I was wondering about him the other day when I was watching my "Jeffersons" DVD and realized that almost everyone on that show is dead except for Florence, one of the Lionels and Jenny. It was really depressing realizing that damn near everyone that was worth a damn in the entertainment world has gone because they sure as hell aren't being replaced by anybody new these days that's worth a damn.

I wonder if Mr. Bentley is still alive.

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[Edited 1/10/13 15:01pm]

He's gone too

[Edited 1/10/13 15:29pm]