Emmy-winning TV writer Mel Tolkin died of natural causes Nov. 26 in Los Angeles. He was 94.
Services will be held Thursday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. at Hillside Memorial Park.
Tolkin, who was the father of screenwriters Michael and Stephen Tolkin, got his start in the early days of television writing for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” with writing partner Lucille Kallen.
Born in Odessa, Russia, Tolkin served in the Canadian army during World War II. He went on to write for Danny Kaye, Danny Thomas, Bob Hope and many other comedians. He won an Emmy for “Your Show of Shows Revisited” in 1967 and was Emmy-nommed for “Caesar’s Hour,” “All In The Family” and “Love, Sidney.” In addition to writing for “All in the Family” for six years, he wrote episodes of spin-offs “Archie Bunker’s Place” and “Sanford.”
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Tolkin also received four Writers Guild awards, a Humanitas prize and a Peabody.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Edith, former Paramount VP of legal affairs; sons Michael and Stephen and four grandchildren.
