The 90-year-old star played the role of Bob Johnson on the educational children’s show.
WASHINGTON — Bob McGrath, who starred in “Sesame Street” for five decades, died on Sunday at age 90.
McGrath’s family shared the news of his death on the star’s official Facebook page on Sunday.
“Our father Bob McGrath passed away today,” the family shared in a statement on Facebook. “He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.”
The 90-year-old star played the role of Bob Johnson, one of few human characters on the educational kid’s show when it premiered. He first appeared in the pilot episode of “Sesame Street” in 1969 and was a mainstay of the show, starring in 47 seasons.
According to Deadline, the actor and singer left the show in 2017 with his final episode “Having a Ball.”
The star also contributed to original songs like “People in Your Neighborhood” and even the show’s theme song, Deadline reports.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind “Sesame Street,” shared a tribute to McGrath on Twitter.
“We will be forever grateful for his many years of passionate creative contributions to Sesame Street and honored that he shared so much of his life with us,” the organization shared on Twitter.
Alan Muraoka, who also stars on “Sesame Street”, also shared a tribute to the 90-year-old star.
“Just heard the news that dear Bob McGrath has passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family,” Muraoka said on his Facebook post. “Words cannot begin to express what Bob meant to me: a role model, a mentor, a friend. His kindness and wicked sense of humor were such a joy, and I loved him so much.”
The actor grew up in Illinois and studied music at the University of Michigan and Manhattan School of Music. He also was a singer in the 60s series “Sing Along With Mitch” and launched a successful singing career overseas in Japan.
He is survived by his wife, Ann Logan Sperry, and their five children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.