The Heartbreaking Death Of Emergency! Actor Tim Donnelly

Tim Donnelly, best known for playing Chet Kelly on the TV show "Emergency!," has died at the age of 77. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Donnelly's older brother, Dennis Donnelly, confirmed that the actor died following surgery complications at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Friday, September 17, 2021. 

Throughout his career, Tim appeared in 122 episodes of NBC's "Emergency!," which was set within Station 51 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

In a statement, The Los Angeles County Fire Museum paid tribute to the late actor on their official website. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our friend, Tim Donnelly, on September 17th. Tim, as you know, played Chet Kelly on the show EMERGENCY! among many other roles during his acting career," the statement read.

Per the Metro, the actor is survived by his brother and sister, Dennis and Kathleen, his daughter Ashley, and his two grandsons.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Timothy David Donnelly was born on September 3, 1944, in Los Angeles. His mother, Eileen, was the daughter of actor Pat O'Malley, and his father, Paul, worked as the production vice president at Universal Pictures. 

Tim made his onscreen acting debut in the film "Baby Face Nelson" in 1957. In addition to "Emergency!," he went on to star in 1978's "The Toolbox Murders" and several episodes of "Hawaii Five-O," "Project U.F.O.," "Vega$," and "The A-Team" (via IMDb). 

Following the sad announcement of the actor's death, many fans took to social media to pay tribute. "Just saw that Tim Donnelly who played Chet on 'Emergency!,' has died" wrote one fan on Twitter. "While technically long before my time, as a teen I watched the show on reruns in the very early hours of the morning, years before I decided to be a paramedic. RIP," they added.