For all of you television fans out there, sad news to report today as actor Ron Palillo passed away on Tuesday morning. Palillo played Horshack on the sitcom ‘Welcome Back, Kotter.’ He passed away at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. He reportedly suffered a heart attack. He was 63. Reports claim that Palillo was found by his long-time partner, Joseph Gramm, close to 4 a.m. Graham called for an ambulance to have Palillo rushed to the hospital, which is where he was pronounced dead.
Palillo, according to a colleague at G-Star School of the Arts, said that Palillo was in excellent health. The co-worker did say that Palillo was a heavy smoker. Reports say that Palillo had been suffering from a cough and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for Tuesday. Palillo was on the show from 1975 to 1979 with John Travolta. He would shout, “Ooh ooh ooh, Mr. Kotter” as a member of the Sweathogs.
Palillo then appeared on the show ‘Laverne & Shirley’ once he was done with Kotter. He also voiced one of the characters on the Disney cartoon “Darkwing Duck.” Palillo is the second cast member of Kotter to pass away this year. Earlier in the year, co-star Robert Hegyes died from a heart attack. Hegyes played Epstein on the show.
