The 60-year-old, who starred opposite John Travolta on the 1970s TV sitcom, has passed away on Thursday, January 26 morning after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home.
- Jan 27, 2012
AceShowbiz - Robert Hegyes of "Welcome Back, Kotter" has passed away. The actor, who is best known for his role as Juan Epstein on '70s sitcom, died from an apparent heart attack on Thursday, January 26 morning at his Metuchen, New Jersey home, the Star-Ledger newspaper reports.
A call for medical assistance was made from Robert's home at 9:02 A.M. on Thursday. Police said that the 60-year-old actor was experiencing chest pains and was transported to JFK Medical Center in Edison. Hospital spokesman Steven Weiss, however, said he was in full cardiac arrest when arriving at the emergency room at 9:40 A.M., and was pronounced dead.
Robert' brother, Mark, told Star-Ledger that the actor, who had a recurring role on "Cagney & Lacey" in the late 1980s, had not been in good health since suffering a heart attack a couple of years ago.
Robert, who was the cousin of Jon Bon Jovi, will be laid to rest on Sunday, January 29 evening. The actor, who also guested on such TV shows as "CHiPs", "NewsRadio" and "Diagnosis Murder", was survived by two children, Cassie and Mack, and two step-children, Sophia and Alex.
