(Hat tip Doug Powers on Michelle’s site.)
Every so often, I’ll post on someone who’s just shuffled off this mortal coil, and I’ll say something like “condolences from the Realm™, so-and-so’ll be missed.”
But Denizens, I gotta tell ya – this one hurts like Hell.
Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in “Airplane!” and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun” comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.
The Canadian-born actor died from complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home at 5:34 p.m., surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent John S. Kelly said in a statement.
“We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in ‘The Naked Gun’ series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television,” said Kelly.
I only saw him in the aforementioned Airplane!  and Naked Gun  flicks, as well as Gun’s  predecessor, Police Squad! – all six episodes of it.  (Yeah, the article says there were four – don’t believe it, there were six.)  Not many things or persons have caused me to literally ROFL – but Leslie Nielsen did, every time he tried it.
Dammit, Leslie – you left us too effing soon.  There’s a hole in my funny-bone where you’d taken up permanent residence, and this pain’ll be felt for a while.
I pray God will bless your family during this time.  You were loved, and you’ll be seriously missed.