As the world mourns the passing of TV icon, Alan Thicke, many are wondering about those he leaves behind. Thicke is survived by his three sons, two grandchildren, and wife. Carter Thicke, 19, was tragically playing hockey with his dad when he suddenly died said on twitter, “Today I lost my best friend and my idol, and the world lost one of it’s finest. You are a legend and I love you Pops. Until next time.”
Thicke, who was 69 at the time of his death, was perhaps best known for his role as Jason Seaver on hit ABC series Growing Pains. Thicke was also an accomplished songwriter, penning iconic TV theme songs for “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes,” among many others. Thicke, who most recently performed in commercials as the pitchman for Optima Tax Relief, had a net worth of $40 million.
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Here’s some more Alan Thicke fast facts:
1. He Suffered a Heart Attack While Playing Hockey With His Son Carter.
TMZ reports that Thicke suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his son, Carter. He was then taken to Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, California. NBC Los Angeles reports that Thicke joked to his son, “you should take a picture” as he was being wheeled out of the ice rink by paramedics.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times Tuesday evening, Carter’s older brother Robin said that one of the last things his father did was congratulate his son on a nice shot. Later on, Carter took to Twitter with a post that read: “Today I lost my best friend and my idol, and the world lost one of it’s finest. You are a legend and I love you Pops. Until next time.”
The 19-year-old co-starred with his father and stepmother in the reality series Unusually Thicke. He is currently attending USC and his Twitter bio reads, “Actor. Writer. Visionary? probably not.”
2. Music Artist Robin Thicke Is Alan Thicke’s Son.
Alan Thicke is survived by his three sons, one of whom is Robin Thicke, famous for the 2013 hit single Blurred Lines. He also worked on Usher’s album Confessions and Lil Wayne’s The Carter III.
On Tuesday evening, The Los Angeles Times spoke to Robin, who confirmed that Thicke suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with Carter. He said that his father was “the greatest man I ever met” and “always a gentleman”. Robin told the news outlet, “The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure. I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him.”
3. Alan Thicke’s Oldest Sons Are With Ex-Wife Gloria Loring.
Thicke has been married three times. His two oldest sons, Brennan and Robin Thicke, are from his first marriage to Days of Our Lives actress Gloria Loring. He had his youngest son, Carter William Thicke, with his second wife, Miss World 1990 Gina Tolleson, who he married in 1994 and divorced in 1999.
On Tuesday evening, Loring spoke to US Weekly about Thicke’s passing. In a statement, she said, “Thank you for your kindness concerning Alan Thicke’s passing. It is a shock. We were all just together for Thanksgiving. He was talented, funny and deeply devoted to his family. Rest In Peace, dear one.” Loring and Thicke were married from 1970 to 1983.
At the time of his death, Thicke was married to Tanya Callau. The couple wed in 2005.
4. Brennan Runs a Medical Marijuana Dispensary in California.
Brennan, 41, was a voice actor in his teenage years. He played the character of Scott Trakker in M.A.S.K., and the title character in the Dennis the Menace cartoon. In 1988, Brennan retired from his acting career. He now runs a medical marijuana dispensary called Venice Beach Care Center in Venice, California.
In 2014, Alan actor told TV Guide, “…Brennan owns a medical marijuana dispensary, a cannabis shop. It’s completely legal. The challenge is the great hypocrisy of how do you support one kid’s business while at the same time telling the other one not to smoke weed? We do a whole episode about that.”
Brendan married his wife, Dolly Thicke, in 2007. The couple has one son, Tyler, and live in Tarzana, California.
5. Carter Appeared on Multiple Episodes of ‘Unusually Thicke’
Many may recognize Thicke’s youngest child, Carter, from the reality show, Unusually Thicke. When he started the show, Carter was just 16-years-old. In a 2014 interview with the Huffington Post, Alan discussed the fact that each of his sons has made something of a career in the entertainment industry. “All of them have been exposed to my career and my life and they see it by example and they know that show business is a lot of fun when it’s going well… I’d be happy if they were orthodontists because straightening teeth will be around forever and show business can be fickle, but I also tell them to follow their dreams to the last drop … just don’t be stupid about it.” h/t heavy