Garry Marshall, film and television writer, director, and actor, has passed away at the age of 81, at 5:00pm on Tuesday July 19 from complications of pneumonia following a stroke at a hospital in Burbank, California.
Mr. Marshall created the hit sitcoms Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy, as well as directing 18 films including, Beaches, Overboard, The Princess Diaries, Mother’s Day, and Pretty Woman, the latter of which Mr. Marshall just finished a rewrite of the book for the Broadway-bound musical.
Mr. Marshall was born in The Bronx, New York, and was a proud graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School and Northwestern University. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, nurse Barbara Sue Marshall, two sisters, Ronny Hallin and Penny Marshall, three children, Lori, a writer, Kathleen, a theatre producer, and Scott, a film and TV director, as well as six grandchildren, and his live theatre, the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, California.
Funeral services will be private. A memorial is being planned for his birthday on November 13. The family requests no flowers. Donations in the name of Garry Marshall can be made to The Saban Community Clinic, formerly known as the Los Angeles Free Clinic, The Intensive Care Unit at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, and Northwestern University Undergraduate Scholarship Fund.
He loved telling stories, making people laugh, and playing softball, winning numerous championships. Even at age 81, he had a record this year of 6 – 1 pitching for his team.
