Known for his iconic portrayal of Grizzly Adams, Dan Haggerty not only left a lasting impression on the world of entertainment but also on the hearts of those close to him. In his final days, he said goodbye to his loved ones with the same grace and humility that characterized his life. His legacy of warmth, friendliness, and magical screen presence promises to live on.
His journey from a lively, adventurous youth to a beloved figure in television history is the story of an opportunity for talent to meet. Born in Los Angeles in 1942, Haggerty was a pulsating force from the start. His closest friend Terry Bomar described him as a “wild child” who eventually adopted a “fast and furious” lifestyle, suggesting a spirited and unbridled zest for life.
Best known for his legendary portrayal of Grizzly Adams, Dan Haggerty captured a lifetime of events in the world of entertainment and beyond in his final moments. He bid his loved ones a dignified and humble farewell, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, friendship, and magical filmmaking that will live on for many years to come.
Read his last words to his best friend and also the reason why he had to say goodbye to his beloved wife. You are older if you remember the TV program Grizzly Adams! Oh, how nostalgic! That was a long time ago, before computers, cell phones, and cables. Naturally, the series would never be the same without Dan Haggerty, as he had such a natural ability to play a character.
I think the reason the show caught on with viewers is because Dan’s true self was embodied in the character of Grizzly Adams. In today’s literature, there are many touching stories about him shared by fans, crew members, and other actors. He was a cheerful, friendly, and compassionate soul.
But let’s go back to the beginning and explore how this legendary actor became the Grizzly Man that captivated an entire generation. Although it turned out to be more difficult than expected, Dan Haggerty’s parents wanted him to become a priest. Born in Los Angeles in 1942, he was a “wild child” from the start. Terry Bomar, his closest friend, claimed he got lost and turned “fast and furious”.
Haggerty (born Gene Jajonski) began working on a ranch in the San Fernando Valley as a youth and fell in love with animals. There he helped care for a number of animals and trained them for various films.
Haggerty was also a powerful force. His striking figure and his teenage bodybuilding efforts eventually led to him being hired as a stuntman. He also designed sets and made furniture for a number of television programs. This combination of abilities would come in very handy later in life.
Eventually, he began acting in low-budget films. His affection for animals led to work as an animal handler and trainer for Walt Disney Studios productions. In the 1974 film When the North Wind Blows, Haggerty starred as the director of white tigers, wolverines, eagles, and wild boars. Of particular interest to everyone on set was wild-haired Haggerty’s forced to chase after a tiger across a frozen lake during the filming of the film.
Haggerty would be perfect for the new movie The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, according to an associate who couldn’t get over the episode. The low-budget indie film was a hit thanks to a strong, gregarious backwoodsman who left a lasting impression. NBC therefore wanted more.
A television series was produced and broadcast between 1977 and 1978. The program had very different themes related to nature. Haggerty had a remarkable telepathic connection with animals in his role as James Capen “Grizzly” Adams. Haggerty was a perfect fit for the role, and the 37-episode run catapulted him to stardom.
Haggerty appeared in The Capture of Grizzly Adams, a 1982 TV movie that followed the conclusion of the series. But in 1984, his career took a serious hit when he was found in possession of cocaine and sentenced to 90 days in jail.
The actor was caught selling drugs to an undercover cop who was working with a task force looking for big names in the Los Angeles entertainment industry.
A few months later, Haggerty nearly lost his life in a motorcycle accident. While in the hospital, he was found guilty in court once more, this time for not paying taxes. Fortunately, he recovered really quickly and the community service he was ordered to do seemed to make him reconsider his previous decisions.
“I’m trying to support the system. I’ve had wonderful luck with the system,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1987.
Dan Haggerty was a man full of enterprise. Already in the 1960s, he founded the leather store “Cornucopia” in Los Angeles. He also produced a Cajun barbecue sauce in the California area that was well received. All things considered, Haggerty had a true love for food. Not long after his marriage, at the age of 17, he started preparing his own meals.
“I had no choice but to do it to survive,” he joked.
In 1975, the actor moved to the south of France for a short time to film “The Christmas Tree”. He made many friends there among the local chefs and became quite interested in food. He studied at the Cordon Bleu School where he gained a comprehensive understanding of the craft.
In the early 1990s, he decided to start his own restaurant, Haggerty’s Bistro.
Located in Studio City, just outside the bustling Hollywood district, this French-inspired restaurant featured a variety of menu items, including Haggerty’s famous “Log Sandwich,” consisting of thinly sliced sirloin, provolone cheese, green peppers, and onions. , tomatoes, and Italian spices all piled on a freshly baked Italian roll.
Haggerty’s wife Tracey, his eldest daughter Jim, and brother Jim run the restaurant.
Haggerty continued to prioritize his acting career. In addition to making guest appearances in Charlie’s Angels and The Love Boat, he again played Grizzly Adams in a number of television shows.
He broke several bones in a motorcycle accident in 1991.
Fortunately, there were false rumors that he had died.
he cut off all contact with his wife
Dan Haggerty played a loner used to fending for himself on the TV show that catapulted him to stardom. However, the filmmakers did consider giving him a wife.
In the interview, Haggerty revealed how the network asked viewers to vote on whether they wanted his character to have a romantic interest. The crowd rejected the idea. The crowd seemed to adore him as a monk or priest figure, someone who would take care of everyone he came across, and so they didn’t want him to have a wife or family.
Haggerty tied the knot twice in real life. He first married Diane Rooker in 1959. At seventeen, the couple tied the knot in Las Vegas.
Dan and Diane went to the same suburban school in Los Angeles. When Dan excelled as a standout football player at a rival school and Diane was voted homecoming queen, their paths finally crossed.
No one thought their relationship would last very long, but those who had doubts were disproved.
Tammy and Tracey, their two daughters, were raised together. Along with their children, the couple shared a home in the Malibu mountains with wolves, eagles, and lions.
Dan and Diane divorced in 1984.
Haggerty married Samantha Hilton the same year after falling in love again. Two sons, Dylan and Cody, and a daughter, Megan, were born to their partnership.
Until the family suffered a tragedy, the couple had a happy marriage. In 2008, Samantha Hilton was involved in a motorcycle accident with a deer.
According to the Globe, Samantha was not wearing a helmet as she headed home from dinner. Samantha, who was 53 years old at the time, was evacuated to hospital after the so-called freak accident.
Unfortunately, the doctors were unable to help. Dan Haggerty learned of the accident while playing golf in Florida.
His pregnant daughter called him and told him the terrible news, and Haggerty immediately flew home to be by his wife’s side. Unfortunately, Samantha suffered severe brain damage and the doctors told Haggerty that she was gone.
He had to pull the plug; there was nothing more to do.
“It was the hardest and most heartbreaking decision I’ve ever had to make, telling the doctors to let my beautiful Sam slip into her long sleep. I cried like a baby.”
Cancer Diagnosis
In August 2015, Haggerty received devastating news: he was diagnosed with spinal cancer after a tumor was discovered during back surgery.
The news shook him and his loved ones to the core. Despite a valiant fight, cancer finally claimed his life on January 15, 2016, in Burbank, California. He continued to work until his death; his Internet Movie Database page states that he had three films in post-production in 2016.
Haggerty’s passing has left a deep void in the hearts of many, as his legacy as Grizzly Adams and his vibrant presence in the entertainment industry will forever be honored and remembered.
“He wasn’t a bandleader by any means. He was a pirate! He lit up every room he walked into – he had an infectious laugh,” said his longtime friend Terry Bomar.
Final words
Their last conversation together became emotional.
“He had a great Thanksgiving, had a great Christmas and a decent New Year’s, and then it took a turn for the worse,” Bomar told USA Today in 2016. “I spoke to him yesterday morning, they put the speaker on I told him I love him and the last words I heard from him were ‘I love you!
Dan Haggerty’s life, much like the rugged mountain landscape his character Grizzly Adams roamed, was filled with peaks and valleys, both marked by moments of intense vivacity and deep challenges. From his early days as an avid animal and wildlife lover to his time in Hollywood, where he found fame and faced personal tribulations, Haggerty’s journey has been nothing short of cinematic.
Despite the hardships and highs, what remained constant was Haggerty’s indomitable spirit. His portrayal of Grizzly Adams did more than entertain; in countless viewers, it inspired a connection with nature and a sense of adventure. Behind the scenes, his life reflected a similar theme of resilience and recovery, whether he bounced back from health problems or personal setbacks.
His culinary ventures and entrepreneurial spirit showcased his versatile talent and ability to reinvent himself. His warm nature, evident in his relationships and numerous charitable endeavors, painted a picture of a man who was deeply loved by those around him despite his faults and past mistakes.
The poignant end of Haggerty’s life, marked by both personal loss and terminal illness, provides a solemn reminder of the fragility of life. Yet in his final moments, as shared by his friend Terry Bomar, the love and light he brought to the world was undeniably present. His final words, “I love you,” serve as a fitting farewell to a man whose life was a testament to living passionately and authentically, no matter the circumstances.
Haggerty tied the knot twice in real life. He first married Diane Rooker in 1959. At seventeen, the couple tied the knot in Las Vegas.
Dan and Diane went to the same suburban school in Los Angeles. When Dan excelled as a standout football player at a rival school and Diane was voted homecoming queen, their paths eventually crossed.
No one thought their relationship would last very long, but those who had doubts were disproved.
Tammy and Tracey, their two daughters, were raised together. Along with their children, the couple shared a home in the Malibu mountains with wolves, eagles, and lions.
Dan and Diane divorced in 1984.
Haggerty married Samantha Hilton that same year after falling in love again. Their partnership produced two sons, Dylan and Cody, and a daughter, Megan.
Until the family suffered a tragedy, the couple had a happy marriage. In 2008, Samantha Hilton had a motorcycle accident with a deer.
According to the Globe, Samantha was not wearing a helmet as she headed home from dinner. Samantha, who was 53 years old at the time, was evacuated to hospital after the so-called freak accident.
Unfortunately, the doctors could not help. Dan Haggerty learned of the accident while playing golf in Florida.
His pregnant daughter called him and told him the terrible news, and Haggerty immediately flew home to be by his wife’s side. Unfortunately, Samantha suffered severe brain damage and the doctors told Haggerty that she was gone.
He had to pull the plug; there was nothing left to do.
“It was the hardest and most heartbreaking decision I’ve ever had to make, telling the doctors to let my beautiful Sam slip into her long sleep. I cried like a baby.”
Cancer Diagnosis
In August 2015, Haggerty received devastating news: he was diagnosed with spinal cancer after a tumor was discovered during back surgery.
The news shook him and his loved ones to the core. Despite a valiant fight, cancer finally claimed his life on January 15, 2016, in Burbank, California. He continued to work until his death; his Internet Movie Database page states that he had three films in post-production in 2016.
Haggerty’s passing has left a deep void in the hearts of many as his legacy as Grizzly Adams and his vibrant presence in the entertainment industry will forever be honored and remembered.
“He wasn’t a bandleader by any means. He was a pirate! He lit up every room he walked into – he had an infectious laugh,” said his longtime friend Terry Bomar.
Final words
Their last conversation together was emotional.
“He had a great Thanksgiving, a great Christmas, and a decent New Year’s, and then it took a turn for the worse,” Bomar told USA Today in 2016. “I talked to him yesterday morning, they put the speaker on, I said I love him and the last words, that I heard from him was ‘I love you!
Dan Haggerty’s life, like the rugged mountain landscape his character Grizzly Adams roamed, has been full of peaks and valleys, both marked by moments of intense vivacity and deep challenges. From his early days as an avid animal and wildlife lover to his time in Hollywood, where he found fame and faced personal hardships, Haggerty’s journey has been nothing short of cinematic.
Despite the hardships and highs, what remained constant was Haggerty’s indomitable spirit. His portrayal of Grizzly Adams did more than entertain; inspired a connection with nature and a sense of adventure in countless viewers. A similar theme of resilience and recovery echoed behind the scenes in his life, whether he bounced back from health issues or personal setbacks.
His culinary ventures and entrepreneurial spirit showcased his versatile talent and ability to reinvent himself. His warm nature, evident in his relationships and numerous charitable endeavors, painted a picture of a man who was deeply loved by those around him despite his faults and past mistakes.
The poignant end of Haggerty’s life, marked by both personal loss and terminal illness, is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life. Yet in his final moments, as shared by his friend Terry Bomar, the love and light he brought to the world was undeniably present. His final words, “I love you,” serve as a fitting farewell to a man whose life was a testament to living passionately and authentically, no matter the circumstances.