Richard Vincent Van Patten †86 (1928 - 2015)

was an American actor, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television comedy-drama Eight Is Enough.

He began work as a child actor and was successful on the New York stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager. He later starred in numerous television roles including the long running CBS television series, I Remember Mama and Young Dr. Malone. Later, he would star or co-star in many feature films including Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Charlton Heston's Soylent Green and the Academy Award–winning Charly. Van Patten is the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods and National Guide Dog Month.