Bernie Mac Dies After Suffering Pneumonia

The actor and comedian known as Bernie Mac (born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957) died after being hospitalized on July 24, 2008. He was hospitalized with an infection that eventually was identified as pneumonia. The news wasn't announced for over a week when his publicist claimed he had pneumonia.

There were rumors saying that he was in "critical condition" and his publicist said that the treatment given was going well and that Mac should be released soon. On August 9, 2008, the publicist announced that he died of complications of pneumonia that wasn't related to sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that he suffered, but remissioned in 2005. He died at the age of 50.

His wife, Rhonda McCullough, opened up about the loss of her husband. She had hoped that he would be able to come home, but remembered that he "didn't look too good". She told People magazine, "I said, 'Hey, Bernard. How are you?' and I kissed his forehead," she continued, "He shrugged his shoulders, like 'I'm tired,' and I said, 'I know you're tired.' Later on that night, it took a turn for the worse".

Later, the doctor told Rhonda and their daughter the heartbreaking news that Mac had passed. When the doctor came in Rhonda said, "He's gone, isn't he?" and the doctor answered "Yes".

Bernie Mac was working on the film Soul Men at the time of his death along with Isaac Hayes, who also died the day after Mac's death at the age of 65

On the day he died, the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago was dedicated to his memory.