Celebrity Graveland

February 28, 1931 – May 29, 2021

For nearly two decades, Gavin MacLeod entertained television audiences in one of the most consistent runs in Hollywood. From 1970 to 1977, he portrayed the high-strung head writer, Murray Slaughter, on the beloved classic sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and from 1977-1987, he starred as Captain Merrill Stubing on the super-popular The Love Boat.

Of course, those are just TWO examples of his career. Before he even stepped foot on the Mary Tyler Moore Show set, MacLeod had around 50 credits to his name and was well established as a beloved character actor.

Born in Westchester County, New York as Allen See, MacLeod earned a bachelors degree in acting from Ithaca College before briefly joining the Air Force. The combination of acting and the military would play large parts in his career. Prior to his monumental TV run in the ’70s, MacLeod appeared in a number of military-themed comedies including Operation Petticoat, Hogan’s Heroes, McHale’s Navy (both the film and TV series) and Kelly’s Heroes.

His later career was marked with guest spots, stage performances and Love Boat reunions. For years, he was a global ambassador for Princess Cruise Lines and he wrote a number of books about both marriage and his life and faith in Hollywood. Gavin MacLeod died at the age of 90 in his Palm Springs home.

Burial

Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Cathedral City, CA

Specific Location

Faith & Hope, Crypt 34-E; South facing wall of this cross-shaped section, third space from the cross aisle, 4th row up. Right next to John Phillips.

This entry was posted on November 9, 2026 at 9:08 am and is filed under Forest Lawn Cathedral City with tags Actors, Forest Lawn Cathedral City, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.