Mulholland Falls,
The Beverly Hillbillies, and
Prior to becoming an actor, as
The Hollywood Reporter noted, Ernie was an English professor and a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, having served in the Vietnam War.
At the time of this writing, Blake has not publicly commented on her father’s passing.
In 2013,
PEOPLE reported that Ernie had undergone retrograde gene therapy for the heart in Utah after realizing his heart was only partially functioning. This made Ernie the first known patient to undergo such a procedure. I woke up the other morning and told my wife, I haven t felt this good in years, said Ernie following the operation. I moved to Utah because of the snow, but I haven t been able to ski. I literally didn t have the heart to do it. Now, I m excited about living the rest of my life instead of sitting around. Dr. Patel saved my life.