Ernest Borgnine, who was born and spent several years of his childhood in Hamden before moving to North Haven with his family, died Sunday. The Oscar-winning actor was 95.
For some he was Lt. Commander Quinton McHale on McHale's Navy, which ran on television from 1962 to 1966. For others, it was the film "Marty" that made him a household name. It also garnered him a string of awards, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, New York Film Critics Ciricle Award and a National Board of Review award for best actor.
The younger generation might remember him from appearances on shows such as The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, Saturday Night Live and ER -- and as the voice of Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants.
He was born in 1917 and lived in Hamden for two years before his parents separated and he and his mother moved to Italy, according to Wikipedia. They returned a couple of years later and settled in North Haven. Borgnine graduated from Hillhouse High School in New Haven.
About a decade ago the town set aside a small piece of land at the corner of Dixwell and Putnam avenues and dubbed it "Ernest Borgnine Park" to honor the actor.
He returned to Hamden often to visit family and would make appearances at Hamden High School to speak to drama students.
His long career began in 1947 when he appeared in the play, "State of the Union," followed by a role in Tenessee William's "The Glass Menagerie."
He virtually never stopped working, appearing in at least 124 movies and dozens of TV shows. In 1997 he was featured in "Ernest Borgnine on the Bus," where he toured the country in his bus meeting fans.
