Gunsmoke wasn’t just a TV show — it was a weekly ritual for millions of Americans. And now, fans are saying goodbye to one of the actors who left a lasting mark on Dodge City.Roger Ewing, the tall, soft-spoken actor who portrayed deputy marshal and all-around helper Thad Greenwood during the 1960s, has died at the age of 83.His family confirmed that Ewing passed away on December 18 at his longtime home in Morro Bay, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Standing 6-foot-4, the blonde and rugged Ewing first appeared on Gunsmoke in February 1965 as a character named Ben Lukens, in the episode ”Song for Dying”.Just months later, viewers were formally introduced to Thad Greenwood, who debuted in the third episode of season 11. At only 23 years old, Ewing quickly became a familiar and comforting presence on the long-running CBS western.Thad was written as the son of an elderly Oklahoma sheriff, played by Paul Fix, who comes to Dodge City pursuing the men responsible for his father’s fatal heart attack. Though his warrant can’t be enforced in Dodge, events lead to the culprits being killed or captured for cattle theft. That’s when Marshal Matt Dillon, portrayed by James Arness, asks Thad to stay on as a deputy.