When did actor Lee van die what eyre
Executive summary
Lee Van Cleef died on December 16, 1989, collapsing from a heart attack at his home in Oxnard, California, and was pronounced dead at St. John’s Regional Medical Center shortly after midnight [1] [2] [3]. His death certificate listed throat cancer as a secondary cause, and he was 64 years old at the time of his death [1] [4] [5].
1. When and where he died — the basic facts
The widely reported and consistent fact across contemporary obituaries and biographical sources is that Lee Van Cleef died on December 16, 1989, in Oxnard, California [1] [6] [5]. Major newspapers including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ran obituaries dated December 17, 1989, confirming the December 16 death date and locating his final hours in Oxnard and at St. John’s Regional Medical Center [5] [3].
2. Cause of death and medical context
Multiple sources report that Van Cleef suffered a seizure at his home and collapsed from an apparent heart attack, which was recorded as the primary cause of death [1] [2] [3]. Biographical compilations and his death certificate further note that throat cancer was listed as a secondary cause of death, and that he had a documented history of heart disease and a pacemaker implanted in the early 1980s [1] [4] [7].
3. Age, background and final years
Van Cleef was born January 9, 1925, and therefore was 64 years old when he died in December 1989 [1] [6]. Sources emphasize that despite chronic heart trouble from the late 1970s and having a pacemaker installed in the 1980s, he continued to work in film and television up until 1989 [1] [7]. Contemporary obituaries and later biographies place his final credited roles and public appearances in the 1980s, including television work such as The Master and film appearances like Thief of Fortune [6] [4] [8].
4. Funeral and resting place
Reports and memorial records indicate Van Cleef was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, and his gravestone is often cited as bearing the inscription "BEST OF THE BAD," an epitaph referencing his iconic villain roles [1] [9] [10]. Find A Grave and other filmography databases corroborate the cemetery and burial information [10] [11].
5. Consistency of reporting and why it matters
Across encyclopedic entries (Wikipedia and Wikidata), film databases (IMDb, TMDB), newspaper obituaries (New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post) and fan/genre sites, the December 16, 1989 date, Oxnard location, heart attack cause, throat cancer as secondary cause, and age 64 are consistently reported, producing a high-confidence consensus about the circumstances of his death [1] [12] [5] [2] [7]. The consistency matters because Van Cleef’s death came at a time when his public profile — especially in cult and international circles for spaghetti Westerns — was still active, and accurate reporting anchors later retrospectives and biographical works [11] [3].
6. Minor variations, source types and caution
While all sources consulted agree on the core facts, the format and emphasis differ by outlet: newspapers focus on the immediate circumstances and career summary [5] [3], encyclopedias and databases include medical details and burial information [1] [10], and fan sites often add memorabilia and interpretation about his legacy [9] [11]. No credible contemporary source contradicts the December 16, 1989 date; biographical variations are limited to tone and ancillary details like the exact phrasing of epitaphs or the cataloguing of late-career credits [9] [13].