About Raymond Allen
Raymond Allen, 91, American actor (Sanford and Son, Good Times, Starsky & Hutch), respiratory illness.
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Full Biography
|Raymond Gilmore Allen (March 5, 1929 – August 10, 2020) was an American television actor. He was known for his appearances on television during the 1970s. He had recurring roles as Ned the Wino on Good Times, as Aunt Esther's husband, Woodrow "Woody" Anderson on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son, and as mechanic Merle the Earl on Starsky and Hutch. He reprised his role as Uncle Woody Anderson in the Sanford and Son spin-off, The Sanford Arms. Allen also made guest appearances on The Jeffersons, What's Happening!!, The Love Boat, and the film Wattstax.
Life
Although he had not appeared in any acting roles since 1985, as his last appearance was from the television film Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster. He continued making public appearances where he spoke and signed autographs. According to his MySpace page, he was forced to retire from acting due to illness. Allen was married to Barbara Williams from 1963 to 1977; they had three children who include daughters Ta-Ronce Allen and Brenda Allen, as well as son Raymond Gilmore Allen Jr. (deceased).
Death
Allen died in August 2020 from a respiratory illness in California, at the age of 91. His daughter, Ta-Ronce Allen confirmed the news on her Facebook page.
Filmography
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "Raymond Allen, Actor on 'Sanford and Son,' Dies at 91"hollywoodreporter.com
- "Raymond Allen Dies: 'Sanford And Son', 'Good Times' Actor Was 91"deadline.com
- "Raymond Allen, Actor Known for 'Sanford and Son' and 'Good Times,' Dies at 91"variety.com
- "Raymond Allen (1929–2020), "Sanford and Son" actor"legacy.com
Reported coverage of Raymond Allen; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Allen_(television_actor)
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Raymond Allen's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the full birth name of Raymond Allen?
- A.Raymond Thomas Allen
- B.Raymond Arthur Allen
- C.Raymond James Allen
- D.Raymond Gilmore Allencorrect
Raymond Allen was born as Raymond Gilmore Allen on March 5, 1929.
Source: biographical introduction
2.In what year was Raymond Allen born?
- A.1937
- B.1933
- C.1925
- D.1929correct
The biography states that Raymond Gilmore Allen was born on March 5, 1929.
Source: biographical introduction
3.What character did Raymond Allen play on the sitcom Sanford and Son?
- A.Merle the Earl
- B.Ned the Wino
- C.Gus Brown
- D.Woodrow Woody Andersoncorrect
Raymond Allen played Aunt Esther's husband, Woodrow Woody Anderson, on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son.
Source: biographical introduction
4.Which television show featured Raymond Allen as the character Merle the Earl?
- A.Starsky and Hutchcorrect
- B.The Jeffersons
- C.Good Times
- D.The Love Boat
Raymond Allen appeared as the mechanic Merle the Earl on the television series Starsky and Hutch.
Source: biographical introduction
5.Who did Raymond Allen marry in 1963?
- A.Barbara Williamscorrect
- B.Esther Anderson
- C.Ta-Ronce Allen
- D.Brenda Allen
Raymond Allen was married to Barbara Williams from 1963 until 1977.
Source: Life section
6.How many children did Raymond Allen and Barbara Williams have?
- A.Two
- B.Threecorrect
- C.Four
- D.One
Raymond Allen and Barbara Williams had three children together.
Source: Life section
7.What was the name of the final film appearance of Raymond Allen?
- A.Gus Brown and Midnight Brewstercorrect
- B.What's Happening!!
- C.The Sanford Arms
- D.Wattstax
Raymond Allen's last acting role was in the 1985 television film Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster.
Source: Life section
8.In which city or state did Raymond Allen die?
- A.Florida
- B.Californiacorrect
- C.Texas
- D.New York
Raymond Allen died in California in August 2020.
Source: Death section
9.What was the cause of death for Raymond Allen?
- A.Stroke
- B.Heart failure
- C.Respiratory illnesscorrect
- D.Cancer
Raymond Allen passed away in August 2020 due to a respiratory illness.
Source: Death section
10.Which individual confirmed the death of Raymond Allen via Facebook?
- A.Brenda Allen
- B.Raymond Gilmore Allen Jr.
- C.Barbara Williams
- D.Ta-Ronce Allencorrect
Raymond Allen's daughter, Ta-Ronce Allen, confirmed his passing on her Facebook page.
Source: Death section
11.What was the role of Raymond Allen in the Sanford and Son spin-off, The Sanford Arms?
- A.Merle the Earl
- B.Gus Brown
- C.Ned the Wino
- D.Uncle Woody Andersoncorrect
Raymond Allen reprised his role as Uncle Woody Anderson in the spin-off series The Sanford Arms.
Source: biographical introduction
12.According to his MySpace page, why did Raymond Allen retire from acting?
- A.Lack of interest
- B.Illnesscorrect
- C.Family obligations
- D.Career change
Raymond Allen stated on his MySpace page that he was forced to retire from acting due to illness.
Source: Life section
13.Which of Raymond Allen's children is identified as deceased in the text?
- A.Ta-Ronce Allen
- B.Brenda Allen
- C.Barbara Williams
- D.Raymond Gilmore Allen Jr.correct
Raymond Gilmore Allen Jr. is listed as the son of Raymond Allen who is deceased.
Source: Life section
14.What role did Raymond Allen play on the television series Good Times?
- A.Gus Brown
- B.Woodrow Anderson
- C.Ned the Winocorrect
- D.Merle the Earl
Raymond Allen had a recurring role as Ned the Wino on the show Good Times.
Source: biographical introduction
15.How old was Raymond Allen when he passed away?
- A.95
- B.89
- C.91correct
- D.85
The text notes that Raymond Allen was 91 years old at the time of his death.
Source: Death section
16.Following his retirement from acting, what did Raymond Allen do for his fans?
- A.Directed television shows
- B.Wrote a autobiography
- C.Taught acting classes
- D.Spoke and signed autographscorrect
After stopping his acting roles, Raymond Allen continued to make public appearances where he spoke and signed autographs.
Source: Life section
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