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Puppeteer John Henson, son of the Muppets creator Jim Henson, has died of a heart attack. He was 48 years old.
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — John Henson, the son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson, has died in New York. He was 48.
Cheryl Henson says her brother died of a "massive heart attack" at his home in Saugerties on Friday.
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She says it happened after he had been building an igloo in the snow with his daughter.
Henson followed in his famous father's footsteps as a puppeteer, performing as Sweetums the ogre in several films, including "Muppet Treasure Island" and "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie."
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He was also a shareholder and board member of the Jim Henson Company.
Henson's visionary father was similarly taken too soon, dying suddenly of organ failure in 1990 at age 53.
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During his celebrated career, the elder Henson created scores of lovable characters that entertained generations of children on shows such as "The Muppets," "Sesame Street" and "Fraggle Rock."
John's mother, Jane Henson, died of cancer in April 2013 at the age of 79.
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She and Jim Henson met in a University of Maryland puppetry class in the mid-1950s, and were the creative and business tandem behind the development of the Muppets.
John Henson leaves behind his wife, Gyongyi, and their two daughters, Katrina, 15, and Sydney, 10.
A private funeral service is planned, the family said.
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