Fraggle Rock is a little sadder today as the actor who played Doc, Gerard Parkes, has passed away at the age of 90 in Toronto, Canada.

Gerard was born October 16th in Dublin, Ireland and moved to Toronto, Canada in 1956. His work spanned film, television, stage and radio where he was frequently on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Gerard was cast in the role of Doc for Fraggle Rock, and also made an appearance other Muppet features like the Muppet Christmas Carol as the same character. Opposite of children’s programming, he played a bartender with Tourettes syndrome, named “Doc”, with William DeFoe and Billy Connelly in the movie Boondock Saints, and reprised the roll in the sequel Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

To me and many others my age, he will always be remembered as Doc from a classic childhood show. Always wondering why his dog Sprocket was acting funny, and never seeing the Fraggles going in and out of his workshop.