http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/people/e3i34f42e1d7ddfde7489d6361f1726b742 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/people/e3i34f42e1d7ddfde7489d6361f1726b742)

Comedy film and television actor Ron Carey -- who began his career as a stand-up on "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Mike Douglas Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" -- has died. He was 71.

Carey died Tuesday of complications from a stroke at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He appeared on the hit TV series "Barney Miller" as officer Carl Levitt and the sitcom "Lucky Luke."

Carey's feature credits include Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part 1," "High Anxiety," "Silent Movie," "Fatso" and "The Out of Towners."

Carey was born Dec. 11, 1935, in Newark, N.J. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, brother Jimmy Cicenia and sister-in-law Dolores.

A memorial is set for Tuesday at Christ the King Church in Los Angeles.

Awwww, he seemed like such a sweet man. One of my fave Barney Miller characters. May he RIP.

Rest in Peace Ron you will be very Missed

That's so sad :(

That is sad but it would've been nice if I had been informed earlier about this. The La Times takes too much time to let people know anything.

Ron Carey, the short and puckish comedic actor who played Officer Carl Levitt on the hit situation comedy "Barney Miller" and was a member of Mel Brooks' comedy troupe in films such as "High Anxiety" and "Silent Movie," has died. He was 71.

Carey died of a stroke Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Michael Ciccolini, a relative.

"Ron Carey was truly talented, very funny and one of the dearest men I've ever worked with," Brooks, who also cast Carey as Swiftus in the Roman-era segment of "History of the World: Part I," said in a statement Thursday.

The 5-foot-7 Carey became a semi-regular on ABC's "Barney Miller" in 1976, the second year of the sitcom that starred Hal Linden in the title role, and remained with the show until it ended in 1982.

As Levitt, Carey was the patrolman who was eager to transfer into the detective squad room of the 12th Precinct station house.

A former stand-up comic, Carey broke into films playing a Boston cab driver in "The Out of Towners," the 1970 comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.

Carey's film credits also include playing Dom DeLuise's brother in the 1980 comedy-drama "Fatso," which was written and directed by Anne Bancroft.

He had small roles in the TV sit-coms "The Montefuscos" (1975) and "The Corner Bar" (1972-73).

Carey, who also appeared in scores of commercials, took pride in being a supporting player and a character actor.

"Stars are stars," he told Newsday in 1989. "But without us, the show wouldn't go on."

Carey was born Ronald Joseph Cicenia on Dec. 11, 1935, in Newark, N.J. He launched his stand-up comedy career in New York after earning a bachelor's degree in communications from Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., in 1956.

He made his first national TV appearance a decade later, on "The Merv Griffin Show." Appearances on "The Tonight Show" and the "Ed Sullivan Show" followed.

"He's from a huge Italian family, so his stand-up was about being lost in this huge family and about being raised Roman Catholic, et cetera, and all the guilt," Ciccolini said.

DeLuise, who first met Carey about 1970, fondly remembers Carey's comedy act, particularly when he would come out dressed like a priest and deliver a "sermon" in which he'd rail against the sin of gambling — then end by reminding his parishioners "that there will be bingo on Wednesday night."

Carey is survived by his wife, Sharon, and his brother, Jimmy Cicenia.

I was shocked to here that Ron Passed Away his Family is in my Prayers

I just found out and I'm shocked. At first I didn't like his character on the show because he seemed conceited, but as time went on his character grew on me. Sad to hear that he has died.

He played such a funny character on Barney Miller, I guess he will always be
thought of as Little Levitt.

Damn, he was a good character on Barney Miller...RIP.....

Very sad news indeed. See our tribute to Ron:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2007/01/tca-winter-press-tour-fox-remembering.html

So sorry to hear that! My heart goes out to his wife and family. He will be truly missed.

I remember watching this show with my dad but can't quite remember which one he is? Is it the guy in this picture with the brown shirt & red tie? May he rip. :(

This is very sad news -- I never missed an episode of Barney Miller -- the emsemble cast was outstanding. Officer Levitt finally made detective in the last episode which was a nice way to send off his character. Rest in Peace.

To answer a question from kirkfan -- the actor in the photo above is Ron Glass -- however, if you go to Barney Miller Photo Gallery, there's a photo of Hal Linden and Ron Carey.

my friend is still in shocked that Ron Carrey passed away

To answer a question from kirkfan -- the actor in the photo above is Ron Glass -- however, if you go to Barney Miller Photo Gallery, there's a photo of Hal Linden and Ron Carey.
thank you LeeBlue ;)