James Tolkan, known for roles in Top Gun and the Back to the Future franchise, has died at 94 in Saranac Lake, New York. He is survived by his wife, Parmelee Tolkan.Parmelee graduated from Smith College in 1970. In the initial days of her career, she was a technical staff member at the American Place Theater in New York. She also acted in a small role in the film They All Laughed.The pair first met in 1971 on the set of an off-Broadway musical, Pinkville. Shortly after meeting, they got married in the same year. Their union was a private affair. For 54 years, they were together and lived in New York.James Tolkan and Parmelee Tolkan did not have any children of their own. They both deeply cared for animals, since after his death, the family requested donations to a local animal shelter or the Humane Society Chapter in his name.While James was an actor, best known for his roles as the high school vice-principal Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II, his wife, Parmelee, is a professional costume painter and artist, and her work is primarily related to Broadway and movies and spans over 40 years of her life.Among her artistic contributions were the movies Hardhat and Legs in 1980 and They All Laughed in 1981."Back To The Future: The Musical" Gala Performance - Source: GettyShe has also maintained a studio at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts since the 1990s. The official website of Lake Placid gives us a glimpse of her life and family, stating:"While she and husband actor James Tolkan (Top Gun, Back to the Future) have been living here in Lake Placid full time since 1987, her ties to the area go back much further than that; 2015 will mark 115 years that Parmelee’s family has been summering in Lake Placid. Splitting her time between NYC and Lake Placid, she has cultivated a thriving and very successful career as a working Adirondack artist for over 40 years now."The feature, published in 2014, also features some of Parmelee Tolkan's artistry.James Tolkan's death confirmed by familyA spokesperson of the family announced James Tolkan's passing through the Back to the Future official website.Born in 1931 to parents Ralph Tolkan and Margery Sibola, James Tolkan attended the Amphitheater High School in 1949 and had a quick Navy career during the Korean War.He worked on the docks while enrolled with both Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler to learn the art of acting. He spent 25 years in New York theater, from off-Broadway to the great White Way. Tolken was also a member of the original lineup of "Glengarry Glen Ross."Apart from his Back to the Future and Top Gun appearances, he was also part of the cast of Love and Death in 1975, Prince of the City in 1981, and War Games in 1983.Tolkan and his wife didn't have kids, but he is also survived by his three nieces.