Actor Dick Van Patten dies at 86

Actor Dick Van Patten, who portrayed family patriarch Tom Bradford in the late 1970s TV series "Eight is enough," died on Tuesday in a Santa Monica hospital. He was 86.

Van Patten died at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica due to complications from diabetes, according to his publicist Jeff Ballard who confirmed it to The Hollywood Reporter.

"He was the kindest man you could ever meet in life. A loving family man. They don't make them like him anymore," Ballard said in a statement.

The actor, born in Kew Gardens, New York, in 1928, began his career as a child star, making his Broadway debut when he was 7 in "Tapestry in Gray," his first of around 30 Broadway appearances. He jumped to television in the role of Nels Hansen in "I Remember Mama" from 1949 to 1957.

Although best known for his role in "Eight is Enough," Van Patten appeared in a series of other shows in his seven-decade career, including "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "Happy Days," and "That '70s Show." He also appeared in various Disney films and three films directed by Mel Brooks -- "High Anxiety," "Spaceballs" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."

Van Patten is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Patricia Van Patten, and three sons. Endite