“Pawn Stars” patriarch Richard “The Old Man” Harrison has died at the age of 77.
“Richard Benjamin ‘The Old Man’ Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved,” his son Rick Harrison announced on Instagram on Monday morning. “He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over. He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool ‘Old Man’ as my dad.”
He continued, “That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him. He lived a very full life and through the History television show ‘Pawn Stars’ touched the lives of people all over, teaching them the value of loving your family, hard work and humor. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers and ask that we are provided some privacy at this time.”
According to a subsequent post by Rick, his father died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Richard and Rick opened the shop Gold & Silver Pawn in Las Vegas in 1988. In 2009, History premiered “Pawn Stars,” a reality series about the operation of the 24-hour-pawn shop. The show has remained on the air since.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the HISTORY and [“Pawn Stars”] family. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor. Our thoughts are with the Harrison family during this difficult time,” the network said in a tweet Monday.
While Richard had featured on the show throughout its run, his appearances had become less frequent in recent years.