Tarzan icon Ron Ely has died at the age of 86.
The legend that brought the classic character to life on NBC's Tarzan from 1966 to 1968 was reputed to have fought off lion attacks and suffered broken shoulders twice during his stint.
Ron's daughter, writer Kiki Ely, took to Instagram with a heartfelt tribute to her "hero" father. She penned: "The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known - and I have lost my dad.
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"My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person - there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him.
"I knew him as my dad - and what a heaven sent honour that has been. To me, he hung the moon.
"My father was my world - and what an incredible world he created. He was strong and protective. He was brilliant and ridiculously funny. He was stoic and sensitive. He was dynamic and powerful. He was my role model and inspiration. He was humble and inherently received respect - the respect he so deserved.
"My father’s life story was one of relentless perseverance, unending dedication to his family and friends, courage to do what was right, and willing sacrifice to facilitate the dreams of those he loved. It was also a story of joy and love - something everyone close to him had the privilege of experiencing. Once you knew my father’s love, the world grew to be a brighter and more meaningful place."
Kiki confessed that her "greatest comfort" is knowing her dad is now reunited with her mother and brother. She continued: "I am doing my best to walk this path of loss with the strength and grace that I know he would want for me. I'm picking up the pieces of my heart that feel like pieces of him - and cementing those firmly in place before I pick up the rest of the broken bits. It makes me feel like part of him is still here - and I need that - and the world needs that.
"My greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother. It is also my greatest sadness because I miss them all so much that it’s etched into my soul. I will proudly carry all of my favourite pieces of them - lovingly cemented into my heart - until we all meet again."
In addition to being known for Tarzan, Ron also led the cast of 1975 movie Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, which was the last motion picture completed by sci-fi producer George Pal. Ron also presented the Miss America pageant telecast in 1980 and 1981.
He hung up his acting boots in 2001 to pursue a career as an author, but made a brief comeback for the TV film Expecting Amish in 2014.
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