Ciao Grampa and Thanks for the Bonus Points

Grampa Al Lewis has died. While it is always good to see a one of your picks give it up, this one comes with an added bonus - The family of Al is reporting that he was 82 and not 95 as had been widely reported. Below is a short obituary excerpted from Larry McShane of the Associated Press:

Al Lewis, the cigar-chomping patriarch of "The Munsters" whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom, died after years of failing health. He was 82. The actor was widely reported to have been born in 1910, but his son Ted Lewis said Saturday that his father was born in 1923.

Lewis, sporting a somewhat cheesy Dracula outfit, became a pop culture icon playing the irascible father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's ever-bumbling Herman Munster on the 1964-66 television show. He was also one of the stars of another classic TV comedy, playing Officer Leo Schnauzer on "Car 54, Where Are You?" He operated a successful Greenwich Village restaurant, Grandpa's, where he was a regular presence — chatting with customers, posing for pictures, signing autographs.

In 1998, a ponytailed Lewis ran as the Green Party candidate against incumbent Gov. George Pataki. Lewis campaigned against what he said were draconian drug laws and the death penalty, while going to court in a losing battle to have his name appear on the ballot as "Grandpa Al Lewis." He didn't defeat Pataki, but managed to collect more than 52,000 votes.

But in 2003, Lewis was hospitalized for an angioplasty. Complications during surgery led to an emergency bypass and the amputation of his right leg below the knee and all the toes on his left foot. Lewis spent the next month in a coma.

How old was Al Lewis really?

Al Lewis, Grandpa on "The Munsters" and also starring in "Car 54 Where Are You?" died Friday at the age of 82 giving Izzy another 18 points.

There is some substantial amount of debate as to the true year of birth for Al Lewis. Some sources say 1910, some say 1923. According to an interview with his family members, the 1910 date is a "story" and the real date is 1923, which is apparently backed up by official paperwork.

http://www.wa-wd.com/h_intro.asp#allewis

Q. Wasn't Al Lewis really born in 1910?
A. No, he was born on 23 April 1923. This has been documented on his birth certificate and college application. These documents were shown on an episode of "A&E Biography" in 2000. I know, he claims to have been in the circus in the 1920s and in the merchant marine in the 1930s, but he wasn't really. He lied about his age to get the part of Grandpa, and he's been lying about it ever since.