Patrick Adiarte’s life was a rare blend of grace, grit, and quiet trailblazing. Born in the Philippines, he crossed oceans and stereotypes to become a familiar face in American living rooms, first gliding across the screen in The King and I and Flower Drum Song, then anchoring beloved TV shows with a calm, steady presence. On M*A*S*H, as Ho-Jon, he gave warmth and depth to a character who might otherwise have been a punchline, embodying loyalty and vulnerability amid the chaos of war.
His work on Bonanza, The Brady Bunch, Hawaii Five-O, and Kojak stitched him into the fabric of classic television, even as his name never shouted the loudest. At 82, his passing closes a chapter on a quieter kind of stardom: the kind that changes what audiences think is possible simply by showing up, fully human, again and again.
