this is the story of the life and sad
ending
of one of my favorite actors dan blocker
but before i start
i would like to ask if you enjoy this
presentation
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thank you bobby dan davis blocker
better known as just dan blocker was
born on december 10
1928 in dekalb texas
at birth dan weighed an astounding 14
pounds and was the largest baby ever
born in bowie county
the family moved to o'donnell texas
where they owned and operated a grocery
store
blocker 13 years old and weighing 200
pounds attended the texas military
institute
and in 1946 played football at hardin
simmons university
in 1947 he transferred to seoul ross
state teachers college in alpine texas
where he was a star football player and
graduated in 1950.
blocker was then drafted into the united
states army during the korean war
he served as an infantry sergeant in
korea
he received a purple heart blocker also
received the republic of korea
presidential unit citation
united nations service medal and their
korean war service medal
after leaving military service blocker
went back to school and earned a
master's degree
in the dramatic arts blocker was a six
foot four
300 pound high school english and drama
teacher in sonora texas
he also taught sixth grade and coached
at eddie elementary school in carlsbad
new mexico
later teaching in california dan married
delphia parker whom he had met while a
student at saul ross state university
all four of their children names begin
with a d actor dirk blocker
hollywood producer david blocker and
twin daughters
deborah lee and dana lynn danblogger was
studying for his phd when money became
short
he supplemented his income by appearing
in a three stooges short outer space
jitters
he made two appearances on the western
gunsmoke he was also seen in other
westerns like the restless gun
sheriff of cochise wagon train the rebel
johnny uma
have gun will travel the rifleman
cheyenne
and maverick among many others blocker
became a household name and tv star in
1959 when he was cast as eric
haas cartwright on the tv show bonanza
which ran on nbc
from september 12 1959 to january 16
1973 lasting 14 seasons
and 431 episodes blocker appearing
in 415 of those episodes bonanza was one
of the most popular tv shows of the
1960s as well as being one of the first
broadcasts in color
in 1963 blockers started and received
partial ownership and a successful chain
of
bonanza steakhouses and ponderosa
steakhouses
his film work included come blow your
horn with frank sinatra in 1963.
he worked with sinatra again in 1968 in
lady and cement playing a tough guy
blocker also starred in the tv movie
something for a lonely man
in 1970 blockers well remembered for
playing a shy
gentle giant in the cockeyed cowboys of
calico county with nanette febre
and a supporting cast featuring jim
backus jackielam
and mickey rooney sadly on may 13th
1972 dan blocker died in los angeles of
a pulmonary embolism
following gallbladder surgery he was
only
43 years old his friends
family and fellow castmates were
devastated by his sudden passing
bonanza lasted only another season
without hoss
and the 14th and final season ended on
january 16
1973 blocker's remains were interred
in a family plot in woodman cemetery in
dekalb texas
you