Ron Ely, the star of "Tarzan," has passed away at the age of 86.

In an emotional Instagram post, Ely's daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, expressed her grief, stating, "The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known - and I have lost my dad."

The iconic "Tarzan" series aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely endured multiple injuries and faced dangerous encounters with animals while performing his own stunts.

After retiring from acting in 2001, Ely pursued a career as an author, publishing two mystery novels. He made a brief return to the screen in 2014, appearing in the television film "Expecting Amish" as an Amish elder.

Throughout the 1980s, Ely also featured in popular TV shows, including the comedy "The Love Boat" and the iconic "Wonder Woman," starring Lynda Carter.

Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959 but divorced two years later. He later hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen. The couple had three children together.

Tragically, Lundeen was killed in 2019 at the age of 62 by their son, Cameron, who was subsequently shot dead by police after being deemed a threat. Ron Ely filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police, but a judge ruled that the officers acted in self-defense.

Ely died at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, California, on September 29. In her announcement on Instagram, his daughter described her father as a hero, saying, "He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader. To me, he hung the moon."