Ralph Waite — Now
Ralph Waite continued to act in films and make guest appearances on prominent television shows after The Waltons ended. He had a recurring role on NCIS as Jackson Gibbs. In the play “The Young Man from Atlanta,” he created the part of Will Kidder, back in 1995. The play was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Source: Reddit
Waite had a busy life in other respects as well. He had three marriages and utilized his position to convey his political opinions. Waite also ran for Congress, but he was defeated. First, he ran against Republican incumbent Al McCandless. He also ran in a special election to fill a vacancy created by a politician’s death. He did, however, lose twice to the politician’s widow. Sadly, Waite died in California on February 13, 2014.