Russell Johnson, the Professor on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ Dead at 89

And he was not just an actor on a silly old sitcom that I happened to watch after school with my mom as a kid over and over, he was a hero.

Quote:

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Born in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, Johnson graduated from a private boarding school for orphaned children before joining the Air Force, flying dozens of combat missions in World War II – including one that turned him into a real-life castaway in the Philippines in 1945. Johnson’s B-25 bomber was shot down by heavy flak; he broke both his ankles during the mission, and received the Purple Heart.

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So long Professor.

all these old guys are dropping off, they are lucky if they get past eighty. who is to follow them?

The group was very lucky to have the professor on board He could create anything from coconut shells and branches . A bit of trivia ......Here is the list of degrees the professor had ......
A B.A. from USC; a B.S. from UCLA; an M.A. from SMU; and a Ph.D. from TCU.

He was my favorite character on that show. The show wouldn't have been the same without him.

Aside from that, I had no idea that he had been through all that other stuff.

I remember him from some of the old Western movies also. Loved him as professor also

Also lost the guy that played Mr. Kincaid on the Partridge Family yesterday.

And many old westerns when I was a kid. Heckuva actor.