The actor and comedian died at his home in Sherman Oaks, California on Oct. 29. He was 77. “It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband and father John Witherspoon has passed away,” the Witherspoon's family wrote on his Twitter account, which was accompanied by a photo of Witherspoon smiling.
“He was a legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you ‘POPS' always & forever,” the statement concluded. A cause of death is not immediately clear. Witherspoon is survived by his wife Angela, whom he married in 1988, and his sons Alexander and John David Witherspoon.