Hal Williams — the actor who embodied steady, present Black fatherhood on television for decades — died Wednesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 91. His passing marks more than the loss of a working actor; it marks the fading of an era when network television aimed to bring Americans together around shared comedy and family life, rather than divide them with ideology.

Williams' representative, Zna Portlock Houston, confirmed the death in an email to the Los Angeles Times, calling him "a cultural touchstone who represented an image of Black fatherhood that was loving and steadfast."

Before he ever set foot on a soundstage, Williams was a juvenile corrections officer in his native Columbus, Ohio. He drove west in 1968 with a plan. "I gave myself three years in California to see what I could do," Williams told Fox 8 just days before his death. "And at the end of the three years I was on 'Sanford and Son,' 'The Waltons' and 'Harry O.'"

He became Officer "Smitty" Smith on "Sanford and Son" in 1972, a role he held through 1977 and reprised in the follow-up series "Sanford." But his signature role came as Lester Jenkins, husband to Marla Gibbs' Mary, on the NBC sitcom "227," which ran from 1985 to 1990.

What made "227" different — and what made it matter — was straightforward. Williams said it himself in a 2020 interview with the "Today" show: "'227' kind of set the bar a little higher because it was a totally intact family. It was a mother, father, daughter and they were very positive. It addressed all kinds of social issues and it gave oncoming shows the opportunity to explore new avenues and new issues comfortably because the networks and production companies were open to that."

An intact family. A present father. Comedy that could address real issues without treating the audience as the problem. That was the formula, and it worked — not because it was preachy, but because it was honest and human.

Gibbs, his co-star, fought to make sure her character had a husband on the show. "Hal, Regina King and I became a television family that showed the love, strength and stability of a Black family for five wonderful seasons," she wrote on Instagram Thursday. "Even after the show ended, Hal never stopped checking on me."

Jackée Harry, who played neighbor Sandra Clark, added: "He was also a stand-up guy who believed Black fathers on TV should be loving, present and compassionate. He helped show America what that looked like."

Williams' death followed a recent trip to Ohio celebrating his work on "Sanford and Son." His most recent screen appearance came in CBS's "Matlock" reboot. He is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The question his career leaves hanging is simple enough: when was the last time a network sitcom built its foundation on an intact family with a loving father — and trusted the audience enough to let the comedy speak for itself?