| Dennis Cole | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 19, 1940 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | November 15, 2009 (aged 69) Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1961-2006 |
| Spouse | Sally Bergeron (1960-1965) Jaclyn Smith (1978-1981) Marjorie Fritz[1] (2004-2009) |
| Website | |
| http://www.denniscole.com/ | |
Dennis Cole (July 19, 1940 – November 15, 2009)[2] was an American film and television actor.
Before breaking into acting, Cole was a model for men's physique magazines. His first big acting break came when he landed a starring role in the ABC police drama Felony Squad, which ran from 1966 to 1969. He appeared for one season (1969–1970) as stuntman Davey Evans in Bracken's World. He then costarred with Rod Taylor in the series Bearcats! (1971).
Cole continued to make guest appearances in numerous television series, such as Medical Center, Police Story, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Three's Company, and Murder, She Wrote. He played Lance Prentiss on The Young and the Restless (1981–82). Cole's last television appearance was a 1998 episode of Pacific Blue.
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All three of Cole's marriages ended in divorce. Cole's second wife was actress Jaclyn Smith; they were married from 1978 to 1981. Joe Cole, his only son from first wife Sally Bergeron,[3] was shot dead in a 1991 robbery attempt at the age of 30; the crime remains unsolved.[4][5]
After the death of his son, Cole turned against acting projects containing violence. This decision led to the death of his Hollywood career, said LA publicist, Edward Lozzi.[5] In point of fact, Cole continued to perform on TV and stage (as the "Narrator" in a production of "Blood Brothers" and the James Garner "King Marchan" role in the first national tour of the musical "Victor/Victoria"). Severe injuries suffered while performing in the latter show led to multiple surgeries, a three-year convalescence and a new direction. Cole remarried and relocated to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he worked returned to school, and opened up his own real estate company with his wife Marjorie. They owned Celebrity Realty, Inc.[6] He became divorced from Marjorie in April 2008.[7]
Cole was a person very much committed to and involved with charity work to benefit mankind in his later years, setting one of the finest role model examples of any actor associated with Hollywood. His volunteer endeavors over the years included an over-two-decade involvement with the American Cancer Society (speaker and chairman), the Arthritis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis foundations, the Willie Shoemaker Foundation, Chairman of the March of Dimes, chairman of the Diabetes Foundation, and charitable work on behalf of the Children's Home Society in Fort Lauderdale.[8]
Cole died at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 15, 2009, aged 69, from renal failure. He was survived by his older brother Richard.[9] Besides Richard, Cole also had two younger brothers, Eddie Wolf and Stanley Wolf. They were born in 1952 in Detroit, Michigan. Stanley remained in Detroit in later life, while Eddie moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. Both Eddie and Stanley died in 2008.
Cole died at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 15, 2009, aged 69, from renal failure. He was survived by his older brother Richard.[9] Besides Richard, Cole also had two younger brothers, Eddie Woof and Stanley Woof. They were born in 1952 in Detroit, Michigan. Stanley remained in Detroit in later life, while Eddie moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. Both Eddie and Stanley died in 2008.