# Tim Conway Dead at 85 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [May 14, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957 "2019-05-14T16:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/21 "2019-05-14T18:45:00Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > IDC if this shows my age > > Poor Barnacle Boy, finally reunited with Mermaid Man My boys were watching SpongeBob the other day, and while I knew that Ernest Borgnine (Mermaid Man) has passed away, I found myself wondering what was going on with Tim Conway (Barnacle Boy) and whether he was still with us or not. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/22 "2019-05-14T18:53:54Z")
A sad day indeed. [“I’ll have to charge you for the Blue Plate Special”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_set7Do_gg) is still a catchphrase in my family. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/23 "2019-05-14T19:37:20Z")
Godspeed, Mr. Parker. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/24 "2019-05-14T19:50:43Z")
:::Sad Fnork::: ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/25 "2019-05-14T20:14:42Z")
Oh lord, he made me laugh til I wet myself. Sad week so far. Rip Mr. Conway. You were marvelous. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/26 "2019-05-14T20:21:15Z")
[The world’s cheapest man on Newhart was the role that I first really remember him on. He literally kept teabags for reusing them.](https://youtu.be/pEUI8yE8nOk?t=938) Saw him in many, many things, but that one-off role really stood out for me. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/27 "2019-05-14T21:04:37Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’ll always remember his appearance on The Simpsons Variety Hour, a segment of The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase. That’s the only work of his I knew before reading this thread. What’s a Tim Conway? Oh, about 120 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reindeer_flotilla/32/3024_2.png) [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reindeer_Flotilla)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/28 "2019-05-14T21:06:14Z")
Along with the Siamese elephants segment, I also give you [the dentist sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUSM4EKcRI) that’s from Carol Burnett’s show as well. These two, amongst many other great performances, are why Tim Conway made the world a funnier place and made so many people happy. In addition to Mermaid Man, Mr. Conway is also reunited with Harvey Korman whom we lost over ten years ago. Geez, the combined contributions to comedy _that_ duo produced is staggering. RIP good sir. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/29 "2019-05-14T21:44:37Z")
Loved him…cracked me up…RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/30 "2019-05-14T21:45:55Z")
Tim had some hidden camera show in the 80’s or 90s. All I remember from it was a bit where he was the ‘fashion police.’ He was dressed in a police-type uniform and was on the street critiquing people’s clothing choices and threatening to write tickets or otherwise praising people. A foot patrol of two police officers happened along and he didn’t break character. They were calling him in as a mentally unstable individual when he revealed himself. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/31 "2019-05-14T21:57:48Z")
He [was 85](https://www.ajc.com/news/national/actor-tim-conway-dies/oa44atShgtN9o5BoPCIxEM/) and had long fought a neurological condition, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the brain’s ventricles. The Carol Burnett show introduced me to his humor when I was a kid and every bit I saw him in after was great. I’m glad I lived in a time that I could experience his work. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/32 "2019-05-14T22:00:29Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No. 1 tribute: yourube post on [Siamese Elephants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY). If you don’t crack up while watching this, I don’t want to know you. In retrospect I should have linked to that in my post. It would have made a hell of a lot more sense. :o ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/33 "2019-05-14T22:05:18Z")
Previous thread in Cafe Society: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=875526](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=875526) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/34 "2019-05-14T22:11:43Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Are you sure that little asshole’s through? > > RIP Mr Tudball. The Tudball/Mrs. Wiggins sketches were interesting as a reversal of the usual Tim Conway sketch, in which he was the odd character and the others reacted to him. As Tudball, _he_ was the straight man. But he made his lines into laugh lines, nonetheless. A lot of people will laugh today as they’re exposed to his work—which will live as long as there are recordings and devices to play them on. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/35 "2019-05-14T22:50:38Z")
Tim Conway was one of the funniest people who ever lived. He was the Rembrandt, the Mozart, of funny. He wasn’t topical, or edgy, but I’ll take him over, say, Sara Silverman any day. The man was a genius. An Einstein, Bach, Picasso, Coltrane, whoever-level genius. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/36 "2019-05-14T22:59:16Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Tim Conway was one of the funniest people who ever lived. He was the Rembrandt, the Mozart, of funny. He wasn’t topical, or edgy, but I’ll take him over, say, Sara Silverman any day. The man was a genius. An Einstein, Bach, Picasso, Coltrane, whoever-level genius. Nah. He was much better than that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/37 "2019-05-14T23:47:07Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No. 1 tribute: yourube post on [Siamese Elephants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY). If you don’t crack up while watching this, I don’t want to know you. Attempts to trumpet in tribute. \ ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/38 "2019-05-15T00:11:12Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > That’s the only work of his I knew before reading this thread… I present you with his dentist routine. His ability to crack up his compadres is legendary! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nF_C3bO8WZ0/hqdefault.jpg "Tim Conway's "The Dentist" (FULL)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF_C3bO8WZ0) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/39 "2019-05-15T00:53:58Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > He [was 85](https://www.ajc.com/news/national/actor-tim-conway-dies/oa44atShgtN9o5BoPCIxEM/) and had long fought a neurological condition, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the brain’s ventricles. > The Carol Burnett show introduced me to his humor when I was a kid and every bit I saw him in after was great. I’m glad I lived in a time that I could experience his work. Two threads on the same topic have been merged. This was the only substantive post in the second thread. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957/40 "2019-05-15T01:11:52Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Oh, wow. Another of the greats, right after Doris Day, is gone . ☹ . (and yeah, Peggy Lipton, not on their level, but there you are, they seem to go in three’s) I’ve mentioned this before somewhere on SDMB, but it’s not “going in threes” but in reality is “dividing all the bad into sets of three”. At least, that’s my theory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-dead-at-85/833957.md?page=3)