You may know Ed Asner for his countless roles throughout his iconic career, but you should also know he was an incredible father to four kids. Sadly, the late Mary Tyler Moore Show veteran died at age 91 on August 29. Ed’s children, Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles, announced the heartbreaking news on Twitter.
“We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully,” read a tweet on the late actor’s official Twitter page. “Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head — Goodnight dad. We love you.”
The legendary actor became a father nearly six decades ago during his marriage with his first wife, Nancy Sykes. The former couple wed in 1959 and welcomed their twins, son Matthew and daughter Liza, four years later in 1963. Ed and Nancy then welcomed their third child, Kate, in 1966 before parting ways after more than 20 years of marriage.
In 1987, the Up voice star expanded his family for the fourth time when he became the dad of a son named Charles with his partner at the time, Carol Jean Vogelman. The ex-couple split after their child’s birth, and Ed later wed his second spouse, Cindy Gilmore, in 1998. The actor and Cindy never welcomed any children during their marriage, which ended in divorce in 2015, per Daily Mail.
Over the years, Ed has learned a lot about life through raising his kids and watching them grow up. Speaking exclusively with Closer at his milestone 90th birthday roast and party in November 2019, the Lou Grant star said his secret to staying sharp and aging gracefully was to “keep your mind active.”
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The seven-time Emmy winner also shared some of his other advice, saying that one should be all about “working, reading” and “being with people who can excite you.” It is clear that Ed had no plans of slowing down in his life.
“Not as long as I can still lift my arms up to my head,” he once joked to Closer in a separate interview. “It’s getting more difficult — I can’t reach beyond my head, but if I can scratch my head, I can still work. I want another 90 years!”
Ed was so dedicated to both his profession and his family throughout his legendary life.
Scroll through the gallery below to meet his children: Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.
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