Raymond William Stacey Burr

Raymond William Stacey Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993)

He was known primarily for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film. He won two Emmy Awards in 1959 and 1961 for the role of Perry Mason, which he played for nine seasons between 1957 and 1966. His second hit series, Ironside, earned him six Emmy nominations, and two Golden Globe nominations. He is also widely known for his role as Steve Martin in both Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, Godzilla 1985 and as the murderer in Rear Window. On January 20, 1987, he hosted the television special that later served as the pilot for the long-running series Unsolved Mysteries. Burr was a well-known philanthropist. He gave enormous sums of money, including his salaries from the Perry Mason movies, to charity. He was also known for sharing his wealth with friends. He sponsored 26 foster children through the Foster Parents' Plan or Save The Children, many with the greatest medical needs.

During the filming of his last Perry Mason movie in the spring of 1993, Raymond Burr fell ill. A Viacom spokesperson told the media that the illness might be related to the malignant kidney that Burr had removed that February. It was determined that the cancer had spread to his liver and was at that point inoperable. Burr threw several "goodbye parties" before his death at age 76 on September 12, 1993, at his Sonoma County home. He is interred at Fraser Cemetery in New Westminster, BC, Canada.