Bob McGrath died at home in New Jersey. His daughter, Cathlin McGrath, told The New York Times that McGrath was experiencing complications after suffering a stroke. McGrath was such a staple of “Sesame Street” that Sesame Workshop dedicated a five-part tribute to the famous voice of “People In Your Neighborhood” on Twitter.
Sesame Workshop noted that McGrath had been with the TV show for more than 50 years. “A founding cast member, Bob embodied the melodies of Sesame Street like no one else, and his performances brought joy and wonder to generations of children around the world,” the tweets read, adding that McGrath was a beloved worldwide performer. McGrath was a part of an impressive 47 seasons of “Sesame Street,” CNN noted, and stopped filming in 2017 but never completely separated from the show. He was often spotted at “Sesame Street” themed events long after retirement. In fact, there was some controversy around his end with “Sesame Street.” As the Times noted, HBO didn’t renew his contract when they took over the TV series in 2016, along with other fixtures like Emilio Delgado and Roscoe Orman.
Read Related Also: Republican U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski killed in Indiana car crash
But McGrath took the change in stride. At a ComicCon in Florida that year, he said, “I’m really very happy to stay home with my wife and children a little bit more. I’d be so greedy if I wanted five minutes more.”
