Six Celebrities that Died from Strokes

Strokes occur when the supply of blood to a part of the human brain is interrupted or reduced greatly, resulting in the brain tissue being deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells can quickly begin to die, precipitating death or severe disability. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease and cancer, and countless celebrities over the years have died from them. Some famous television notables that have been killed by strokes include the funniest stooge of all, an eccentric "granny", a butler for a "Family Affair", the Lone Ranger's sidekick, a man who led a "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", and a Kung Fu "master."

Curly Howard was born Jerome Lester Horwitz in 1903, the brother of Moe and Shemp Howard, part of the slapstick comedy act "The Three Stooges." Curly was the wildly funny one that took the brunt of Moe's physical antics and had a trademark "nyuk, nyuk, nyuk" laugh. Curly would often ad-lib, as he was not good with a written script. He walked with a limp, the result of a childhood shooting accident. When the Stooges gained prominence in the mid-1930s, Curly's health began to deteriorate, as he ate, drank, and smoked too much. His diagnosed hypertension eventually led to a series of small strokes, and he suffered a massive one on May 6th, 1946. Another stroke in 1949 left him severely debilitated, and he finally died in 1952 of a cerebral hemorrhage at 48.

Irene Ryan was a vaudeville, radio, stage, film, and television star who became most famous for playing the part of "Granny" on the long-running CBS sit-com "The Beverly Hillbillies" from 1962 until 1971. Ryan was nominated for Emmys for her work on the show and a Tony for her work on Broadway. Originally, it was thought that the actress Bea Benaderet would be cast as Granny, but Ryan's audition for the part won her the role, and Bea became "Cousin Pearl", a character who would regularly later show up in the show. Ryan died at the age of 70 from a stroke; Irene had been previously diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Sebastian Cabot was a British actor who played in many films, including "The Time Machine" and "Secret Agent". Born in London in 1918, he ultimately will be remembered as "Mr. French", the gentlemanly housekeeper helping Brian Keith raise his two nieces and a nephew in the sit-com "Family Affair." The series ran in the 1960s until 1971, and was popular on CBS, with Cabot a big reason why. Sebastian played the part of Kris Kringle in a remake of "Miracle on 34th Street: in a television version of the classic in 1973. Cabot died from a stroke on August 22nd, 1977 in British Columbia, Canada; he is buried in Los Angeles next to "Family Affair" co-star Keith.

Jay Silverheels was an accomplished athlete, with boxing and lacrosse his specialties. Born Harold J. Smith in Ontario, Canada, on the Six Nations Indian Reserve, he began working in motion pictures around 1937. He appeared in films such as "Broken Arrow" and "Key Largo" before landing the role of the Lone Ranger's friend Tonto. He rode a horse named Scout on the series that ran from 1949 through 1957. Typecast as Tonto, Silverheels had trouble getting work when the show ended, so he became a salesman. He also started an actor's workshop for Indians that is still active today in California. Silverheels stroke occurred in the late winter of 1980; his ashes were scattered in his native Canada.

Richard Basehart was in "Moby Dick' with Gregory Peck as the character Ishmael, but it wasn't until he went under the waves in the nuclear submarine "Seaview" that he became a household name. In the 1960s sci-fi series produced by Irwin Allen, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", Basehart was Admiral Harriman Nelson, commander of the super- nuclear vessel that encountered one adventure after another week after week. The series lasted 110 episodes from 1964 until 1968, after which Basehart made many appearances in other television shows and made-for-TV movies. Basehart was the victim of multiple strokes in September of 1984, which led to his demise at the age of 70.

Keye Luke was a Chinese actor that was born in Canton but grew up in Seattle, Washington. From 1934 until 1949 Luke played Charlie Chan's eldest son in the popular movie franchise. Luke is most famous for his role as "Master Po", a blind monk who teaches David Carradine's "Caine" in "Kung Fu" during the early 1970s. Luke also played in a 1969 episode of "Star Trek." In 1991, when Keye Luke was 86, he succumbed to a stroke in Whittier, California.