Gunsmoke actor James Arness dead at 88

Jun 03, 2011 4:15 PM by Caroline Goddard

Posted in Entertainment / Celebrity Gossip / Celebrity Obituaries

James Arness Obituary

Gunsmoke actor James Arness has died, leaving behind a letter he wanted released upon his death. He was 88 years old.

James Arness

James Arness, best known for his role as a towering Dodge City lawman in Gunsmoke, died at home in his sleep Friday. He was 88 years old.

Arness left behind a touching letter to his fans with the intention it be posted to his website after his death.

"I had a wonderful life and was blessed with... (so) many loving people and great friends," he wrote.

"I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years."

Click here for more celebrity obituaries on SheKnows

Arness played the iconic role of US Marshal Matt Dillon on the CBS Western series Gunsmoke for an unbelievable 20 years, from 1955 to 1975. His portrayal of a humble, quiet man with an unwavering sense of justice was beloved by millions of fans.

Intensely private, Arness refused most interviews and never discussed his life's biggest tragedies: The deaths of his daughter and ex-wife of drug overdoses two years apart.

In addition to Gunsmoke, Arness appeared in 34 films, 12 television shows and five Gunsmoke made-for-TV movies. He leaves behind his wife of 33 years, Janet Surtees, and a son, surf champion Rolf Arness. Son Craig and daughter Jenny predeceased him, as did his first wife Virginia Chapman.

Image courtesy WENN

Tags: celebrity deaths celebrity news celebrity obituaries

Comments

Comments on "Gunsmoke actor James Arness dead at 88"

There has never been a television show that I enjoyed any better than Gun Smoke. Matt Dillion was my hero. I thank the good LORD he kept him around for all those years and he gave us many enjoyable hours of entertainment

At 64 i still enjoy watching all the early episodes of Gunsmoke-the 1/2 hour shows with the original cast. Always thought Matt and Kitty would one day get together but guess thats what kept us coming back week after week. Will miss you Mr. Arness

I still watch those reruns. I think the one thing "Matt" tought us was not to fight unless we had to.

I watched Gunsmoke with my Uncle & Auntie when I was a little girl and would walk home after the show usually at night.James Arness started in the year I was born and retired the yr. I got married. Thanks Mr Arness for being in my life.

I met James Arness on New Year's Eve, 1964, at a house party I was attending, put on by his son Craig (RIP), at Sun Valley, ID. Of course the music was a bit too loud, and we were being silly teenagers. In walked DAD- my god he was tall, barely fit through the door- and told us in no uncertain terms to lower the music. Of course we did- pronto! Nobody was going to mess with Marshall Dillon....

GUN SMOKE IS MY FAVORITE SHOW. I JUST LOVE JAMES AND MISS KITTY. THE WHOLE GROUP. ICOULD WATCH IT 24 HRS A DAY TO THIS DAY.IT IS THE BEST SHOW EVER CREATED.MY HEART SADDENS FOR HIM. HE WAS A VERY LOVEABLE HONEST MAN.MY HEART AND PRAYERS R WITH HIM FOREVER. WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN I HOPE TO MEET HIM.I HAVE ALOT OF HIS MEMORBELOMA. I WILL CHERISH IT THE REST OF MY LIFE.

As a child how many Saturday nights did I strap on my six shooter on and draw against "Matt". Mr. Arness,thank for the many years of Gunsmoke.

I will always love James Arness. In the '50's and on, our whole family loved that show. All of them were good actors, but the star was Arness. God bless you on your journey, You will always be loved and missed.

Im a 60 year old woman watched gunsmoke when i was young . just finished buying all the episodes for my collection -WHY CAN TV BE LIKE THE OLD DAYS INSTEAD MOF ALL THIS PERSONAL REALITY STUFF!-----REST IN PEACE MATT-YOU WERE A LEGEND.

My husband and I loved Gunsmoke. We named our son Matthew after Matt Dillon and he is now 39 and grew to be a man about James Arness's size. He was a great actor and our sympathy to his family.

What a feeling of loss. He was my childhood hero who taught us to do the right thing no matter how hard it was and to treat all people fair and just.

I have watched GUNSMOKE since I can remember, (born in 1959, that's a lot of GUNSMOKE) & I continue to watch it every weekday morning. His GUNSMOKE movies were a pleasant, unexpected treat for me & my family. Mr. Arness was & is a part of my life. R.I.P. Mr. James Arness ?

I cant tell you how many enjoyable hours I have had watching Gunsmoke I have every episode in my Collection and have watched them over and over again. James will be sadly missed by all his fans, but will be remembered for many years to come.He was a real Legend.My Sympathy to his Family.

Good Bye and happy trails to Mr. Arness. Matt was just the best on the 20 year series of Gunsmoke. He will be missed along with Kitty and Doc. There will never be another like him. Regards to his family.

What a great actor and a sad day.

Thank you James Arness,, I pray to God that I will see you in the eternal life to come.If so ,you are in a much better place now. Rest in peace.I sure enjoy your acting!May God comfort your family.

This is a very sad day for me..I grew up as many watching Gunsmoke,loving Marshall Dillon & everyone else on the show..Rest In Peace Mr Arness..I will always have the memories & reruns to hold in my heart..You will be so greatly missed..Prayers for your family, friends & fans who all loved you dearly..You were a great actor for sure.. :(

When I read this I felt a personal loss. Growing up I loved Gunsmoke:Marshal Dillon, Kitty, Doc, Chester and ol Festus. Brings back many memories. Rest in peace Mr. Arness. You will be missed.

What a great actor . We will all miss him.