M*A*S*H Star Dies at 75

David Ogden Stiers, better known in M*A*S*H circles as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, has died "peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon after a courageous battle with bladder cancer," per a tweet from the MKS Talent Agency, which adds, "His talent was only surpassed by his heart." Stiers was 75. He joined M*A*S*H in 1977, halfway through its 11-year run, but was an inseparable part of the show by the time it wrapped in 1983. He was nominated for Emmys in 1981 and 1982, notes E! Online.

As CNN reports, Stiers had a busy career post-M*A*S*H, particularly known for his voicework in Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Also mourning his loss is the Newport Symphony, where he was a resident conductor. Stiers "was a generous, loving, and inspirational friend and pillar to our orchestra, and, indeed, to all of us individually. Our orchestra would not be here if it weren't for his great support and inspiration over three decades," says the symphony's music director. (Stiers made headlines in 2009 when he came out as gay at the age of 66.)