Actor Tom Bosley, best known for playing family patriarch Howard Cunningham on Happy Days, has died near his home in Southern California. He was 83.

At the time Happy Days began in 1974, Bosley had been a familiar character actor for nearly 20 years and had even won a Tony award. But the ABC sitcom would become his signature role. Mr. Cunningham was originally drawn as a stereotypical dad of the 1950s, straight-laced but calm and wise. As the orientation of the series changed and Henry Winkler’s Fonzie became its star, Bosley’s performance became more broad, and he was more likely to come across as a befuddled foil to the Fonz. But throughout, Bosley was still able to portray Cunningham as solid, stable, and a loving husband.

After Happy Days concluded its run, Bosley continued to work steadily. He played the title role of a sleuthing priest in The Father Dowling Mysteries, which premiered in 1989, and also had a recurring role as the sheriff on Murder, She Wrote. His unmistakable friendly voice also provided him with gigs in animation and doing voiceovers for ads. He appeared on screen earlier this year in the Jennifer Lopez vehicle The Back-Up Plan.