Source: TvGuide Online
Remembering Andrew Koenig: Parents Plan Book; Co-Stars Remember an "Old Friend" and a "Great Dude"
The parents of Growing Pains star Andrew Koenig, who was found dead in Vancouver Thursday, are preparing a remembrance book in their son's honor, while friends and colleagues are paying tribute to the late actor described as a "great dude."
"The Koenig family thanks you for your kind thoughts at this difficult time," the family said in a statement. "It means a lot to them and they are very appreciative of the support they are receiving. Each of these emails will be printed and bound in a remembrance book."
Koenig, who suffered from depression, died of an apparent suicide in Vancouver's Stanley Park, his parents, Walter Koenig and Judy Levitt-Koenig, said Thursday. His body was found a week after he was reported missing by friends and family.
"It is with great sorrow to hear about the final outcome of the search for my old friend Andrew. I hope everyone will be sensitive to the Koenigs and give the family some private time to reflect and to grieve the loss of their beloved son," Kirk Cameron, his Growing Pains co-star, said in a statement. "At a time like this, we all are reminded of the briefness of life and the importance of being ready for our eternal destination. My prayers will continue to be with Andrew's family."
Tracey Gold, who played Cameron's sister Carol on the '80s sitcom, told Us Weekly that her "heart is broken" for the Koenigs. "I have such great memories of Andrew and our time together on Growing Pains," she said.
Other stars took to Twitter to pay their respects to the 41-year-old actor best known as "Boner" on Growing Pains, including William Shatner, Walter Koenig's former co-star on Star Trek. (Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov on the series.) "My deepest sympathies to Andrew Koenig's family. I will grieve with them," Shatner wrote.
Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Wil Wheaton tweeted: "Oh my god. I just heard that Andrew Koenig's body has been found in Vancouver. He was only 41. My heart goes out to his family."
Koenig's Family Values co-star Danny Masterson called the actor a "great dude. Very smart. very cool. very funny," while Alyssa Milano, who had actively tweeted for help in the search for Koenig, asked her followers to "do everything in your power" to help those with depression.
Comedian Jimmy Pardo, Koenig's brother-in-law who hosts the podcast Never Not Funny, paid tribute to Koenig on his website, on which the actor frequently worked.
"Andrew Koenig was our video producer, our cameraman and our editor. He was our collaborator on mic and off. He was also our brother and our friend. Just as he did with his work as an actor and an activist, he touched countless lives by gracing us with his presence on Never Not Funny, and now we all feel the weight of his absence. The Andrew we will remember and celebrate is the Andrew we saw every week at the studio: the kind and caring vegan, the videographic wizard, and most of all, the gifted performer with a passion for comedy who laughed at us and made us laugh. We will miss him always."
