Tim Considine, Hardy Boys and My Three Sons Actor, Dead at 81: 'Went Through Life His Way'

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Tim Considine, an actor known for starring in several Disney films and TV series of the 1950s and '60s, has died. He was 81.

The Hardy Boys actor died Thursday at his Los Angeles home in the neighborhood of Mar Vista, his son Christopher Considine told The Hollywood Reporter. Tim's My Three Sons onscreen brother Stanley Livingston also shared the news with a tribute on Facebook.

"Just want to say how sad I am to learn that my life-long friend and surrogate older brother, TIM CONSIDINE, passed away yesterday. On screen, Tim also played my older brother MIKE on MY THREE SONS. Tim and I have been friends for more than 70 years. Our hearts go out to his wife, Willie and his son Christopher - and the entire Considine family. Tim went through life HIS WAY! He will be missed by all those who knew him. I love you Bro... RIP," Petersen wrote.

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Born on New Year's Eve, 1940, in Los Angeles to Academy Award-nominated MGM producer John W. Considine Jr. and Carmen Pantages, daughter of theater magnate Alexander Pantages, Tim made his onscreen debut at age 12 in 1953's The Clown.

He was also known for his roles as Spin in Disney's The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Frank in Hardy Boys, as well as playing eldest son Mike on My Three Sons. Additionally, Tim starred in 1959's The Shaggy Dog and the 1970 war film, Patton. His other credits include The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Bonanza, The Fugitive, and Gunsmoke.

Tim was also an automotive historian, photographer, and writer, having written for The New York Times Magazine and penning 1970's Tarzan's Deadly Silence with his brother, John Considine.

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"Life is like the surf," Tim told PEOPLE in 1992. "You wait for the wave to come in and you try to catch it. I've been dealt some great waves, and I've done OK."

Tim is survived by his wife Willette Hunt, whom he married in 1979, and their son Christopher.