Sir Patrick Stewart Dies at 86 After Battle With Dementia
The actor known for Captain Picard and Professor X passed away Thursday surrounded by family and live music.
By Natalie Cooper ·
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor who portrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died. He was 86 years old.
His representative announced the death on Thursday. Kelly Bush Novak, Stewart’s longtime spokesperson, shared a statement on his social media accounts confirming the news.
The statement said Stewart died in the care of his wife, Sunny. It described his final period as a "brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
"He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all," Bush Novak wrote.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, characterized by progressive loss of memory and thinking abilities. Lewy body dementia is another type that affects movement, behavior, and mood, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The statement did not specify when Stewart received his diagnoses. It noted that he died with a look of "peaceful ease and reflection" on his face.
Source: WIL-FM
