Stacy Keach Sr., actor-director-producer and father of multihyphenates Stacy Keach Jr. and James Keach, died Thursday Feb. 13 in Burbank, Calif., from complications of congestive heart failure. He was 88.
As an actor, the senior Keach appeared in hundreds of feature and television motion pictures, hundreds more commercials and had continuing parts in TV series in a career that spanned more than 50 years.
Still in distribution is the radio-TV show he developed, owned, produced and directed, “Tales Of The Texas Rangers.” (Radio version starring Joel McCrea is still heard weekly on more than 300 stations.)
Recurring TV work includes “Get Smart” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” (starring daughter-in-law Jane Seymour, James’ wife) and others. Among hundreds of TV commercials he appeared as Clarence Birdseye in Birds Eye ads and as on-camera spokesman for National Home Life Assurance, Dupont, U.S. Surgical and others. (In 1980 alone, he appeared in 38 different commercials.)
Film appearances included “Pretty Woman,” “Cobb,” “Hit Man,” “Matlock” and “Mission of the Shark” (in which he played the father of a character portrayed by son Stacy).
His educational company, Kaydan Records, produced award-winning albums; his records “The Living Constitution of the United States” and “The Declaration of Independence” earned Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Awards.
He was also an early developer of industrial motion picture production, forming a company in 1946 that produced presentations for many years.
Milwaukee native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Northwestern and was an instructor in dramatic arts while a graduate student. He then became a professor at Armstrong College in Savannah, Ga., and founded the Savannah Playhouse. From there, he came west to direct at the Pasadena Playhouse and subsequently was signed by Universal to a contract as actor, director and writer, working there for 4 ½ years, followed by producing for RKO.
Among his many honors are an honorary doctorate from Columbia College, Man Of The Year from Pasadena Playhouse Alumni, Diamond Circle Award from the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters and three kudos from Northwestern.
Besides his two sons and daughter-in-law, he is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary; Stacy Jr.’s wife Malgosia and eight grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Forest Lawn in Burbank.
