Ernest Borgnine,95,one of the most popular and long-lived actors in Hollywood,passed away on Sunday,July 8 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center,Los Angeles after a brief illness.He was a ten year veteran of the U.S. Navy and lifelong supporter of fellow veterans and their families.
Borgnine,the son of Italian emigres,was born in Hamden,Connecticut,which named a street in his honor.He enlisted in the Navy in 1935 and served until 1941,but promptly re-enlisted in that year when Pearl Harbor was attacked and served an additional four years.He achieved the rank of Gunner's Mate 1st Class,serving aboard the USS Lamberton(DMS-2),a fast minesweeper that had originally been a WWI era destroyer(DD-119).Indeed,the ship continued to perform the escort duties typical of a destroyer,despite its new classification.His decorations included the Navy Good Conduct Medal;American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp;American Campaign Medal;Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal;and WWII Victory Medal.On October 4,2004,he was awarded the honorary Chief Petty Officer rating from Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D. Scott for his support of the Navy and naval families worldwide.He had visited a number of veterans hospitals.
After the war,his mother had suggested an acting career for him,noting his exhibitionist tendencies,and he agreed.Borgnine worked in film and TV until the end of his life.He won a Best Actor Oscar in 1955 for the role of Marty in the film of that name.He also appeared in From Here To Eternity;Torpedo Run;Barnabas;The Dirty Dozen;Ice Station Zebra;The Wild Bunch;Willard;and The Poseidon Adventure-more than a hundred films in all.His TV credits include McHale's Navy;All Quiet on the Western Front;Airwolf;ER;Jesus of Nazareth;the long-running voiceover role of the Mermaid Man in SpongeBob SquarePants;and many others.
He is survived by his wife Tova;four children and six grandchildren;and his sister Evelyn.
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