<Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1980--2013 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Spouse (s) </Th> <Td> Barbara Avery (m . 1988) </Td> </Tr> <P> James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945--December 31, 2013) was an American actor and poet . A prolific television actor, he is best remembered for his portrayal of patriarch "Uncle Phil" Banks in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel - Air . His voice acting work was mostly in animated series . </P> <P> Avery was born in Pughsville, Virginia (now part of Suffolk, Virginia) on November 27, 1945, and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey . He served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1969, after graduating high school . Later on, he moved to San Diego, California, where he began to write poetry and TV scripts for PBS . </P>

Who died off fresh prince of bel air