Jerry Van Dyke, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Assistant Coach Luther Van Dam alongside Craig T. Nelson on the sitcom "Coach," died Friday afternoon, TMZ reported Saturday afternoon.
His widow, Shirley, told TMZ that Van Dyke, 86, died at their Arkansas ranch with her by his side, and that his health had been deteriorating since a car accident over two years ago.
He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, and was also a comedian who pursued stand-up while still a young man, performing often at the world's military bases. TMZ reported Dick Van Dyke visited his brother and his wife over the Christmas holiday at the ranch.
The younger Van Dyke made his acting debut on "The Dick Van Dyke" show, and made appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" before joining "The Judy Garland Show" as a regular. In recent years, he performed in roles on "Yes Dear" and "The Middle.
His death comes a week after that of another Dick Van Dyke show regular, Rose Marie, who died on Dec. 28.
In addition to his wife, Van Dyke is survived by two children.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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