This is his obituary from Canwest News Service:
Canadian-born actor Henry Beckman dead at 86
| Canwest News Service |
Monday, June 30, 2008
|
Henry Beckman, a Canadian character actor who appeared in hundreds of TV shows, films and stage productions in a career spanning five decades, is dead at age 86.
While Beckman had few well-known leading roles, he played a host of supporting characters which included Detective Frank Briggs on X-Files, Colonel Harridan on McHale's Navy, George Anderson in Peyton Place and Captain Clancy in Here Come the Brides. He co-starred as Sandy Duncan's landlord in the series Funny Face.
He had other television roles in such series as the Twilight Zone, Welcome Back Kotter, Rockford Files, Happy Days, Gunsmoke, Quincy, Ironside, Marcus Welby, Mannix, Columbo, Bewitched and The Monkees.
Beckman, who had lived in Washington State just south of the B.C. border for many years, died on June 17 in Barcelona, Spain.
He also appeared in a dozen or more movies. They included the role of the sheriff in 1992's The Man Upstairs starring Katherine Hepburn. In 2000, he was the narrator of the Lion of Oz. Other roles dated back to the '50s and '60s in such films as Niagara and Marnie. Beckman also took home two Genie awards for his film work in Canada.
He wrote scripts as well.
Beckman was born in Halifax on Nov. 26, 1921 and entered the Canadian military before his 18th birthday in 1939 by lying about his age. He went ashore during the invasion of Normandy.
He is to be buried in the family plot at St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery near Sumas, Wash.
