The closest he came to any military service was a brief stint in the U.S. Coast Guard. Other works include Gerard engravings of Nicolas de Larmessins 17th century theatrical costumes, drawings by Jacques Callot, oil paintings by William Bell, Minerva Chapman and Camillo Innocenti. 1963. Portrait of Raymond Burr as Chief of Detectives Robert T. Ironside, on the set of "Ironside" circa 1975 in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images, INSIDE RAYMOND BURR'S HIDDEN GAY LIFE WITH HIS PARTNER OF 33 YEARS. Perry Mason Star Raymond Burr Blazed Trails for Gay Actors - Decider It's a memorial to him, to his idea, and I think it deserves to be named after him.". Raymond Burr as Perry Mason on location for the "Perry Mason" show on August 3, 1962 | Photo: Getty Images. | Source: Getty Images. Raymond Burr became famous thanks to his lead role as Perry Mason in the iconic TV series Perry Mason." His private life, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He was very subtle in his approach, said Picerni. Canadian Actor Raymond Burr passed away on 12th Sep 1993 Healdsburg, California, USA aged 76. Robert Benevides is a 93 year old American Actor. He also did radio broadcasts and appeared in a handful of television shows like Ironside and Perry Mason, shooting him to impressive heights. It all came down to his terror that he would lose the role of Perry Mason and his entire career as a leading actor if he was exposed as gay and sharing his life with a male lover. According to Burr, he married his first wife, actress Arnette Sutherland in the forties. Raymond Burr pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice during a promotional tour for "Perry Mason," London, 1961. Yet he claimed to have served in the U.S. Navy. After Burrs death in 1993, Benevides started the Raymond Burr label (1998), after many successful years of wine production, and reaching his 85th birthday (2013), Robert Benevides decided to sell his vineyard estate. It got shot in Paris, Colorado, France, Toronto, Canada, and Denver. Menu. BARBARA HALE AND RAYMOND BURR'S ICONIC ROLE. Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale as Perry Mason and Della Street from the television show Perry Mason. One Christmas, she made him 12 pairs of hand-knitted cashmere socks, but they were in the wrong size and a color he did not like. He was very fond of cooking for friends and collecting fine wine. | Source: Getty Images. Raymond Burr wearing a pinstriped suit in a promotional headshot for the film, "Bride of Vengeance." Starring: Hal Holbrook, Barbara Hale, William R. Moses, John Spencer, Gregg Henry, Bonnie Bartlett .