R.I.P. Kenneth Washington

Actor Kenneth Washington, best known for his role on the 60s sitcom, "Hogan's Heroes," has died age 88...

  From Variety

Kenneth Washington, who made several TV appearances and was the last surviving main cast member of the CBS series “Hogan’s Heroes,” died on July 18. He was 88.

A familiar guest star on TV series in the 1960s, Washington’s appearances included roles in “Star Trek,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “My Three Sons,” “The Name of the Game,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Adam-12” and “Dragnet 1967.”

He landed his “Hogan’s Heroes” role as Sergeant Baker in 1970, but the show was canceled the following year by CBS. Washington’s work in the 1970s included an appearance in the 1973 film “Westworld” as well as roles in the TV series “The Paul Lynde Show,” “The F.B.I.,” “The Rockford Files” and “Police Story.” One of his last TV appearances was alongside Jasmine Guy in “A Different World” in 1989.

Born in Ethel, Miss., Washington and his family moved to California, where he was raised in the Bay Area in Redwood City and San Francisco. After earning his first screen test, he relocated to Los Angeles to begin his acting career. Among Washington’s other credits were the TV movies “J. Edgar Hoover,” “Money on the Side” and “Our Family Business.”

Following his acting career, he returned to school and earned his college degree from Loyola Marymount University. He became an instructor at the same university, teaching a course that focused on Black actors in film. From there, he taught classes in oral interpretation and speech at Southwest College.