Remembering Dick Van Patten

Veteran actor Dick Van Patten knew how to make people laugh. The man who would become an iconic TV dad in the hit series Eight Is Enough (1977-1981) died today at 86. “Tom Bradford” became a popular father figure as he navigated the tricky waters of parenting as a widower and then, as a remarried dad. His sensibility and tough love resonated with viewers. For many fans, it felt as though the likable Tom Bradford was a lot like the extremely likable Dick Van Patten. Anthony Pomes, now VP of Marketing/PR for Square One Publishers, was a research editor on the 2007 trivia book Dick Van Patten’s Totally Terrific TV Trivia and quickly learned there was some truth in the comparison.

“I feel lucky to have worked with him,” says Pomes who today recalled how much fun it was to talk “showbiz” with the film and television star. “He even told me what it was like getting beat up by Charlton Helston in Soylent Green (1973).”

Van Patten, who appeared in comedy-driven films and television shows including High Anxiety, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Happy Days, The Love Boat, Love American Style, Arrested Development, and Hot in Cleveland, also made sure there was humor in his home. Notes Pomes, “He always recorded a ‘Joke of the Week’ on his phone’s answering machine. One joke I remember was ‘Where do you find a one-legged dog? Right where you left him.’ He was a fun and good-natured man and I will miss him very much.”

But sense of humor aside, the achievement that most impressed Pomes was something we would have expected from Eight Is Enough’s Tom Bradford. “Dick and his wife of many years, Pat, were one of those great, longtime married Hollywood couples…what I admired about Dick was the way that he loved his family and went on to extend that feeling of family to his co-stars and to all who came to work with him—myself included.” Van Patten leaves behind a beautiful legacy and is survived by his wife of 62 years Patricia Van Patten and their three sons, actors Vincent, Nels and Jimmy.

Watch this video tribute from PBS’s American Masters interview with Dick Van Patten

Nancy Berk, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, author, comic and entertainment analyst. The host of the showbiz podcast Whine At 9, Nancy digs a little deeper as she chats with fascinating celebrities and industry insiders. Her book College Bound and Gagged: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College Without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind can be seen in the feature film Admission starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.