Robert Reed Death
Robert passed away on May 12, 1992 at the age of 59 in Pasadena, California, USA. Robert's cause of death was colon cancer.
When did Robert Reed die?
May 12, 1992How did Robert Reed die? What was the cause of death?
Colon cancerHow old was Robert Reed when died?
59Where did Robert Reed die? What was the location of death?
Pasadena, California, USA
Robert Reed Birthday and Date of Death
Robert Reed was born on October 19, 1932 and died on May 12, 1992. Robert was 59 years old at the time of death.
Birthday: October 19, 1932
Date of Death: May 12, 1992
Age at Death: 59
Robert Reed - Biography
Robert Reed (October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Reed and fellow Northwestern student Marilyn Rosenberger married in July 1954. They had a daughter, Karen Rietz, before divorcing in 1959. Reed had determined he was homosexual. He kept this fact a close secret, since public knowledge of his sexual orientation would likely have damaged his career during that era.
Several years after his death, Reed's Brady Bunch co-stars – notably Barry Williams and Florence Henderson – publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation, and admitted that most of the cast and crew of The Brady Bunch knew, but they never discussed it with him and vice versa.
Henderson spoke about Reed being in the closet during a 2000 interview with ABC News: "Here he was, the perfect father of this wonderful little family, a perfect husband. Off camera, he was an unhappy person – I think had Bob not been forced to live this double life, I think it would have dissipated a lot of that anger and frustration. I never asked him. I never challenged him. I had a lot of compassion for him because I knew how he was suffering with keeping this secret."
Regarding Reed's unwillingness to discuss his sexuality, Williams told ABC News during a 2000 interview that "Robert didn't want to go there. I don't think he talked about it with anyone. I just don't think it was a discussion – period. [Had it ever come out that Robert Reed was gay] it probably would have caused the demise of the show. I think it would have hurt his career tremendously."
In November 1991, Reed was diagnosed with colon cancer. When he became ill, he allowed only his daughter and his close friend actress Anne Haney to visit him. Haney later said of Reed, "He came from the old school, where people had a sense of decorum. He went the way he wanted to, without publicity." Weeks before his death, Reed called Henderson and asked her to inform the rest of The Brady Bunch cast that he was terminally ill. He died on May 12, 1992 at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California at age 59.
Reed's death was initially attributed solely to cancer, but details from his death certificate were made public revealing that Reed was HIV positive. It remains unknown how and when Reed contracted HIV because he kept his medical condition and private life a secret until the day he died, telling only a few close friends. While Reed did not have AIDS at the time of his death, his doctor listed his HIV-positive status as being among "significant conditions that contributed to death" on the death certificate. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.
