FILIPINO American actor Darren Criss is mourning the loss of his father, Charles William “Bill” Criss Jr., who passed away from a rare heart condition on Monday, April 27. He was 78.
The former “Glee” actor took to Instagram to confirm the news.
“Bill Criss has left the building. After many years of coping with a rare heart condition which, true to his form, very few would have even been aware of, he finally checked out peacefully yesterday morning, surrounded by his loved ones,” he shared on Monday.
In the same post, Darren paid tribute to his father.
“Dad lived an extraordinary life. Anyone who ever met Bill Criss adored him instantly. He could talk to anyone about anything. Well-read and well-traveled, he made a world a better place wherever he went. He was as deliriously charming as he was relentlessly selfless; always putting other people first, making anybody who ever got in a conversation with him genuinely feel like they were the most incredible person in the room,” he wrote.
“And although he would have been the first to gracefully protest it, the simple truth is that he was in fact, every inch the exemplary man: a devoted husband, an outstanding father, a loving grandparent. He lived his days the same way he loved his friends and family with an unwavering sense of composure, compassion, generosity, and humility,” he added.
Darren said he wanted to be just like his father, who was a true gentleman and a constant source of joy and inspiration for him.
“I’ve spent most of my life trying to be like him, wanting to see and do all the incredible things he did and I’m so grateful he was around to see me actually pull a few off. He was there for all the greatest moments of my life, which of course, he always dressed up for. His kind, blue eyes, big laugh, and infamous warm smile could not have been a better representation of who he was to his core,” he said.
“I cherished him every day, and will forever,” he continued.
Bill is survived by his Cebuana wife, Cerina, and two sons, Charles and Darren.
