John Ritter

It was a beautiful day in September - it was the Day of Reflection, and fans of an actor, who starred as Paul Hennessy, a columnist and father of on "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" (based on the book of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron), didn't know that later on tragedy would strike and he would be taken from them.

John first gained fame portraying Jack Tripper on the TV show Three's Company. His character was a funny guy, who made his fans laugh out loud. Because of him, the show was a success.

Then, in 2002, along came "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter". John again made TV audiences laugh with his character Paul's wit and humor whenever dealing with his two daughters, Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) and Kerry (Amy Davidson), and his son, Rory (Martin Spanjers).

But then, tragedy struck. On September 11, 2003, it happened. John was hospitalized with an aortic dissection. He died that night. The third episode of season 2 on "8 Simple Rules", "Donny Goes AWOL", was finished, with a montage of great moments of John on the show dedicated to his memory.

Friends, family and fans were shocked and heartbroken. Not only was John a talented and funny actor, he was also a dearly beloved friend.

The show was retitled "8 Simple Rules" after John's death. A two-part episode called "Goodbye" was made to show how the cast really felt about what happened to him. His character Paul died when he collapsed in the grocery store while picking up some milk.

Nothing made John happier than bringing laughter into people's lives. He will not be forgotten.

R.I.P
Johnathan Southworth "John" Ritter
(September 17, 1948 - September 11, 2003)