Harold Ramis of 'Ghostbusters' and 'Caddyshack' fame is dead at 69

Legendary writer, director, actor and producer Harold Ramis has died at the age of 69 years old after struggling with his health since 2010. The Caddyshack and Groundhog Day writer past away as a result of complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease involving the swelling of blood vessels.

Most people remember Ramis for his acting career, including the role of Egon in the Ghostbusters series, as well as a small cameo in Knocked Up.

Slashfilm reports:

Ramis is best known for playing Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, where he provided the essential and exaggerated straight-man character to anchor the team that also included Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Those two could be as looney as they wanted to be, and Ramis was there to anchor them, weird as Egon might have been. Ramis got his start as a writer and performer at Chicago's Second City (along with Murray, Akyroyd, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi) and moved back to Chicago in the mid-'90s, and lived out the rest of his life working there rather than in Hollywood. 

Ramis was also an accomplished writer and was responsible for such incredible films like Caddyshack and Groundhog Day.  He also co-wrote Meatballs, Animal House, and Ghostbusters.

Mr. Ramis struggled with health issues since 2010, up to his death this week from the autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis. In the world of comedy and film, Ramis was a legend and has left a legacy of great work behind. Our thoughts are with his family.