<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, comedian, voice over artist and poet . A prolific television actor, he is best remembered for his portrayal of patriarch Philip 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 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--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 from fresh prince of bel air