Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor. His best known role was as John Walton, Sr., on the 1972-1981 CBS TV series The Waltons, which he also occasionally directed. He also portrayed the slave ship third mate Slater in the mini-series Roots. In addition, he appeared in many guest roles on numerous television series, most recently in a recurring role in the CBS series NCIS as Jethro Gibbes' (Mark Harmon) father. .

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph Waite