Roger Ewing, the actor fondly remembered for his portrayal of Deputy Marshal Thad Greenwood on the classic television series “Gunsmoke,” has passed away. He was 83 years old.

Ewing’s family shared the news of his passing through an obituary, revealing that the beloved actor died on December 18, 2025, in Morro Bay, California. The obituary did not specify the cause of death.

Mark Ashworth, a close friend of Ewing, paid tribute to him in a heartfelt message, describing him as a “kind and decent man” who remained grounded despite his fame. “Surely he’s in Heaven, because if anyone was meant to be there, it’s him,” Ashworth expressed in his tribute.

Linda Brady, another friend of Ewing, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting his gentle nature and the impact of his career. She remarked on how his life and work had touched many people in profound ways.

Linda Brady, another of Ewing’s close friends, remembered the late actor as a “good and gentle man” whose life and acting career “touched so many people in different ways.”

“Roger brought many of his own characteristics to the role of Thad Greenwood on the epic western ‘Gunsmoke,’” she wrote. “Shy, quiet, funny, and endearingly optimistic, Roger, as Thad Greenwood, will live on, forever young, in ‘Gunsmoke’ reruns throughout the world.”

Born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 12, 1942, Ewing started acting when he starred in a satirized adaptation of “Gunsmoke” while a senior in high school.

“I watched [the show] every Saturday night,” he later said regarding the CBS classic, which famously included James Arness as Matt Dillon and Ken Curtis as Festus.

However, Ewing’s onscreen debut didn’t come until a few years later, when he appeared in an uncredited role in the movie “Ensign Pulver” in 1964, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Following several guest appearances on classic shows like “Bewitched,” “The Bing Crosby Show” and “Rawhide,” Ewing joined “Gunsmoke” as Ben Lukens in 1965.

Later that same year, he returned to the show as handyman-turned-deputy marshal Thad Greenwood following the departure of Burt Reynolds as Quint Asper.

Ewing joined as Thad Greenwood during the third installment of Season 11, and he stuck around for 50 episodes until departing the beloved series in 1967.

“With Thad’s family gone, Matt, Kitty, Doc and Festus sort of adopted him,” the actor once said of his role, per THR. “Anything that needed to be done, you know, an extra hand here, and extra hand there, Thad was always around. He fit in whenever necessary.”

After leaving “Gunsmoke,” Ewing went on to appear in other shows like “The Mothers-In-Law” in 1967 and “Death Valley Days” in 1970.

His final film roles, meanwhile, were the Glenn Ford film “Smith!” in 1969 and the Anthony Perkins-led flick “Play It As It Lays” in 1972.

Ewing ultimately quit acting to pursue photography, which allowed him to travel around Europe, Russia and Mexico.

He later became active in local politics around Morro Bay, and even ran for a city council seat there in 2003.

“We were all very proud of his success in the acting world,” Ewing’s friend Patrick Hall wrote following the actor’s death. “He will be truly missed by all.”