Raymond Allen, an actor who had memorable recurring roles on classic ’70s sitcoms Sanford and Son and Good Times, died Monday of a non-COVID respiratory illness at a long-term care facility in California. He was 91.
Allen’s death was announced by his daughter, Ta Ronce Allen, in a Facebook post
The actor was best known for his Sanford and Son character of Uncle Woodrow “Woody” Anderson, brother-in-law of Redd Foxx’s Fred Sanford and long-suffering husband of LaWanda Page’s Aunt Esther. On another Norman Lear-created series, Good Times, Allen played Ned the Wino, a neighborhood street character and friend of the series’ central Evans family. Both Woody and Ned showcased Allen’s comic depiction of cheerful intoxication.
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Born on March 5, 1929, in Kansas City, MO, the youngest of 12 children, Allen also appeared in the ’70s series What’s Happening!!, Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat and The Jeffersons. He largely withdrew from acting following his string of ’70s roles.
He is survived by daughters Brenda Allen and actress Ta Ronce Allen, who also appeared in ’70s series including a Good Times recurring role as Yvonne, girlfriend of series regular Ralph Carter’s Michael Evans.
