Sesame Street‘s longtime resident Bob McGrath died from complications of a stroke at his home in New Jersey on Dec. 4. He was 90.
McGrath’s death was confirmed in a tweet posted by Sesame Workshop’s official Twitter account.
“Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of Bob McGrath, a beloved member of the Sesame Street family for over 50 years,” the statement read. “A founding cast member, Bob embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world.”
A Facebook post said McGrath “died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.”
McGrath portrayed Sesame Street human character Bob Johnson on the long-running educational television series on PBS. McGrath portrayed Bob Johnson for 47 years.
McGrath was an actor, musician and children’s author. He is pictured with Sesame Street cast members Roscoe Orman (Gordon), left, and Sonia Manzano (Maria) at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 27, 2008. Sonia retired from Sesame Street in 2015.
McGrath was a teenage idol in Japan before joining the iconic children’s TV series in 1969, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ann McGrath. They had five children, 5 granddaughters, and three grandsons.