John Aniston, soap opera mainstay and father of Jennifer Aniston, dies at 89
John Aniston, star of a lifetime in TV and movies from 1980s up to his untimely death in December 2011, has died. He was 89.
The actor’s agent confirmed the news to People magazine (via Deadline) on Tuesday.
He died Friday evening after a three-year battle with colon cancer in his Los Angeles home, the agency said.
The news of Aniston’s death was first reported by CNN. A memorial service is set for 1:00 p.m. Tuesday (April 13) in Malibu, according to a family source.
Aniston is survived by Jennifer Aniston, his first wife of 24 years and mother of their three sons, Henry, 16; Elijah, 14; and Jack, 10. They were married for 13 years, from 1986 until Aniston’s death in 2011.
Aunt Peggy and Uncle David
John’s early life was filled with tragedy. His mother, Marjorie Aniston, died when he was young and he moved around often with the family of his young stepfather.
He was the first boy to have a dog when he was just 4 and the oldest of six siblings. He grew up in the small town and was close friends with many of his classmates.
In 1965, he had a baby in Los Angeles that he named Henry after the late actor Henry Cavill, also famous for starring in The Tudors.
He and his new wife, actress Jennifer Aniston, had met when they both starred in 1990’s Friends with Money. He was an experienced playwright at the time and Jennifer was helping out with her friend Julia Roberts.
“John was, in many ways, the perfect husband,” Jennifer told People in a 2010 interview. “He’s got the most extraordinary and deep love for his family, he’s such a caring and thoughtful person. And I just felt it was really right at the right time, so I just knew it was the one.”
They married after a whirlwind romance that saw the pair fly first-class from LA to Paris, where they were celebrating with friends.
“John and I went to Paris on a date,” Jennifer said in 2009. �
