Billy Sands
| Billy Sands | |
|---|---|
 Sands at left with Phil Silvers and Paul Ford in The Phil Silvers Show, 1958 | |
| Born |
January 6, 1911 Bergen, New York |
| Died |
August 24, 1984 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Lung Cancer |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Culver City |
| Occupation | Television actor |
Billy Sands (January 6, 1911 – August 27, 1984) was an American character actor who appeared as a regular on The Phil Silvers Show (Sgt Bilko) as Pvt. Dino Papparelli and was a regular on McHale's Navy as Harrison "Tinker" Bell. He has also made guest-starring roles on many other television series, including Car 54, Where Are You?, All in the Family, Here's Lucy, Happy Days, and The Odd Couple. Sands also appears in one of the opening scenes of Rocky as a booker for the fighters.
He was born William F. Sands in Bergen, NY to John F. & Dana A. Sands. Sands began his professional career in 1946 when he appeared on Broadway with Spencer Tracy in Robert Sherwood's "Rugged Path."
He died from lung cancer at the age of 73 while at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA on August 27, 1984. He is buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, CA.