Lee Farr

1927 - 2017

April 10, 1927 - March 23, 2017 Lee Farr died peacefully in Woodland Hills, California, on March 23rd, following a long fight against cancer. He was less than three weeks shy of the 90th birthday that was his goal. Born Leon Farb in New York on April 10, 1927 (not Liberty, Missouri, as the Internet insists), Lee grew up in Brooklyn, son of photographer Jacob Farb and Rose Draisin Farb. He graduated from Boys High School, served in the Navy, and studied geophysics at Penn State University. After working briefly as a geologist, he turned to acting, becoming familiar to television viewers as Detective Lt. Jim Conway on ABC's Robert Taylor's Detectives. His flashing smile and equally convincing scowl led to roles as both good and bad guys on Bonanza, Mission Impossible, The Invaders, M Squad, Have Gun Will Travel, Lassie, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, The Rockford Files, and other iconic series of the sixties and seventies. His feature films included Gunfighters of Abilene, Lone Texan, Tarawa Beachhead, and Thundering Jets. He also starred on the Los Angeles stage in Death of a Salesman; A View from the Bridge; Julius Caesar; and A Hatful of Rain. Lee was predeceased by his sister, Lottie Kelban (Harold), and half-brothers Abe and Dave Caroff; survived by daughter Denise; nephews Russell Kelban, Stuart Kelban (Marjorie Saul), and niece Laurie Kelban (Eric Schuhmann); cousins Jack Michaelson, Shelley Sosniak Wesolowski, and Stacy McLaughlin; and great-nephews Oscar Kelban and Daniel Schuhmann.