Jerry Van Dyke, Coach star and brother of Dick Van Dyke, dies at 86

Jerry Van Dyke, the comedian brother of actor Dick Van Dyke, has died at the age of 86.

Van Dyke’s wife, Shirley, told The New York Times she was by his side when her husband passed away at their Arkansas ranch on Friday afternoon. She also noted that his health had been deteriorating since they were both in a car accident more than two years ago.

Van Dyke went into show business, just like his brother. He appeared as Stacey Petrie in the 1960s on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which he followed up with appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, My Mother the Car, and Accidental Family. Van Dyke was perhaps best known for his four-time Emmy-nominated role as Luther Van Dam on the ABC comedy series Coach.

He reunited on screen with his celebrity sibling on The Middle, where Dick guest starred as the estranged brother of Van Dyke’s character, Tag.

“I looked up to him as a kid,” Van Dyke remarked of his brother Dick to The Los Angeles Times in 2015.

The star of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang returned the complements. “In the service, you can steal other people’s material,” Dick said. “I didn’t realize how good he was. The main thing about Jerry is that he’s funny from the inside out.”

Rose Marie, Dick’s longtime costar on The Dick Van Dyke Show, passed away earlier on Dec. 28.