Kenneth Washington, best known for his role as Sergeant Richard Baker on the classic sitcom Hogan's Heroes, has died at the age of 89. His death was announced earlier this month, marking the end of an era for the Emmy Award-winning show's main cast.
Washington joined Hogan's Heroes in its final season, which aired in the US between 1970 and 1971. He played the radio expert, replacing Ivan Dixon's character Sergeant James Kinchloe. The show, set in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, also starred Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Larry Hovis, Richard Dawson, and Robert Clary.
Prior to Hogan's Heroes, Washington appeared in the Star Trek episode 'That Which Survives' in 1969, playing engineer John B. Watkins. He also featured in films such as Westworld (1973) and Changes (1969). His acting career spanned from the 1950s, with on-screen roles beginning in that decade.
After his acting career, Washington earned a college degree from Loyola Marymount University and later became an instructor there, teaching a course on Black actors in film. He also taught oral interpretation and speech at Southwest College.
Washington is survived by his wife Alice Marshall, three children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, as well as siblings Johnnie and Aaliyah. Tributes have poured in, with fans and colleagues remembering him as the last surviving main cast member of Hogan's Heroes.
