Alan Thicke, who was best known as the dad on 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains," died of an apparent heart attack, according to reports.
Alan Thicke, best known as the upbeat dad on the hit 1980s sitcom Growing Pains, has died.
The 69-year-old actor reportedly suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son in Burbank, California on Tuesday.
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Paramedics were called to the rink at about noon. Thicke was rushed to Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
As news of the beloved actor's death spread, the best known of his three sons, singer Robin Thicke, spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the surprise passing.
Alan Thicke was proudly Canadian, never forgetting his roots as he soared to stardom. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 14, 2016
"The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure," said Thicke. "I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him."
In addition to his Growing Pains role as Dr. Jason Seaver, Thicke was an accomplished musician who composed several television theme songs, including the original themes for Wheel of Fortune, The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes.
RIP Alan Thicke. I grew up watching him and got to know him through Robin. He was always so kind to me. So sad to hear about his passing.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) December 14, 2016
Robin Thicke credits his multi-talented father with inspiring him to enter the music world. He called his dad the "greatest man I ever met" and said he was "always a gentleman."
Thicke kept busy in the years prior to his death, guest-starring in the Netflix series Fuller House alongside Candace Cameron Bure, and on the NBC drama This Is Us.
"You were a part of my family and hockey family. You will be greatly missed. My heart hurts," tweeted Bure, whose brother, Kirk Cameron, rose to fame as Thicke's onscreen son in Growing Pains.
Thicke was born in 1947 in a small town in Ontario, Canada. He had a lifelong love of hockey and, according to reports, he died doing what he loved.
It wasn’t just entertainment that consumed his life, in 1989, Thicke opened the Alan Thicke Centre for Juvenile Diabetes Research in Western Ontario, Canada, after one of his sons was diagnosed with the disease.
Inside Edition has followed his career for many years. In one 1997 interview, he talked about is passion for playing hockey. “I try to play once-a-week,” he said.
Thicke is survived by his wife Callau; his two sons from his first marriage, Brennan and Robin; and Carter, his son from his second marriage.
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