Actor Chief White Eagle dies at 93

[n2doc]

An Native American actor and a treasured piece of Tinley Park history died Monday in Rochester, Ind., after a few months of poor health.

He was 93.

Basil F. Heath, better known as Chief White Eagle, lived in unincorporated Tinley Park with his wife, Roberta, or Bobbi Bear, from about 1975 to 1990, said Village Clerk Pat Rea.

He lived an accomplished life, Rea said, that included appearances in popular Western films alongside movie greats like John Wayne. “Northwest Passage” was his first film in 1940, and later he added “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” “Stage Coach” and more to his repertoire.

Rea, who knew Heath well, said one of his favorite lines was to say his good friend John Wayne had killed him seven times.

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http://triblocal.com/tinley-park/2011/01/27/former-tinley-resident-native-american-actor-dies-at-93/