Harold Ramis, legendary comedic actor, writer and director of classics including Ghostbusters (1989), Caddyshack (1980) and Groundhog Day (1993), died on Monday, Feb. 24 at the age of 69.

Harold Ramis Dies

Ramis died from complications due to autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a disease that causes blood vessels to swell. Ramis, who lived in Chicago, had been suffering from the disease for about four years, since major complications began to present themselves. In May 2010, Ramis suffered an infection and reportedly relapsed in late 2011. He is survived by his wife Erica Mann Ramis, his daughter Violet Stiel and sons Julian and Daniel Ramis. Erica Ramis told the Chicago Tribune that the family will be holding a private memorial service this week, but a public memorial will most likely be held in Chicago in May.

Ramis cemented his place in film history with his writing, acting and directing. He is perhaps best known for writing and acting in Ghostbusters alongside Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver and Dan Akroyd. He also wrote and directed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day. Also on his resumé, Ramis wrote Animal House, Stripes, Analyze This, Year One and directed four episodes of The Office. Younger audiences might recognize him for his role as Seth Rogen’s dad in Knocked Up (2007).

Celebrities Respond To News Of Ramis' Death

Akroyd released a statement regarding the news of Ramis’ death on Monday, saying, “Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer/performer and teacher Harold Ramis. May he now get the answers he was always seeking.”

Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, tweeted his sadness, saying that it “feels like we lost one of the Beatles.”

Many people are taking to Twitter to express their grief, fans and co-stars alike, including Billy Crystal, who starred in Analyze This, a film Ramis wrote and directed, and Steve Carell, who worked with Ramis on The Office.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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