Dick Martin, the former co-host of the ground-breaking comedy show “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in,” died on Saturday at the age of eighty-six from respiratory complications.
Martin and Rowan, the Laugh-In comedy Duo, met in 1952 and worked up the night-club circuits before making it to television. Martin described their earlier acts as “raw” but “funny,” and their popular TV show lasted from 1968 to 1973. The pair continued to do performance until 1977 when the parted amicably.
Martin, who is responsible for coining the phrase “Sock it to me,” went on to become a successful director, taking part in television shows such as “In the Heat of the Night,” “Archie Bunker’s Place,” and “Family Ties.”
As a teenager Martin lost one of his lungs and needed oxygen in the latter part of his life. During his 80th birthday, he fainted from his condition, but always in good humor, remarked “Boy, did I make an entrance!”
Dick passed away at 6:PM in a Santa Monica hospital surrounded by family, and will not be having a funeral, as per his request.
