Bill Windom, a veteran character actor, was born in 1923 in Manhattan, New York City. He was named after his great-grandfather, William Windom, a Congressman with a Lincolnesque appearance.
Windom's father, Paul Windom, was an architect, and his mother, Isobel Wells Peckham, was a former actress. Bill attended Williams College and the University of Kentucky, among others, before serving in the Army during World War II.
After the war, Windom studied at Fordham and Columbia universities in New York City before deciding on an acting career. He trained at the American Repertory Theatre from 1946 to 1961 and made his Broadway debut in November 1946.
Windom's early career included appearances on stage and television, with roles in Broadway productions such as "Henry VIII," "What Every Woman Knows," and "Androcles and the Lion." He also appeared in various TV dramas, including "Robert Montgomery Presents" and "Hallmark Hall of Fame."
In the 1960s, Windom gained popularity on television, with notable roles in shows such as "The Farmer's Daughter," "The Twilight Zone," and "Combat!" He also starred in the series "My World and Welcome to It" and won an Emmy Award for his performance.
Windom continued to work in film and television throughout his career, appearing in movies such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Detective," and "Brewster McCloud." He also provided voiceovers for various projects and wrote and performed in one-man shows.
In his later years, Windom became a regular on the TV series "Murder, She Wrote" and appeared in the series "Parenthood." He continued to work in film and television until his death in 2012, at the age of 88.
Windom was married five times and had four children. He was a chess, tennis, and sailing enthusiast and is survived by his children, step-daughters, and grandchildren.
