'Welcome Back, Kotter' star dies in Florida

By Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY

Posted August 14, 2012

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The cast of the 1970's TV sitcom 'Welcome Back, Kotter.' Clockwise from bottom, left: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Gabe Kaplan, Ron Palillo, John Sylvester White, Robert Hegyes and John Travolta. Marcia Strassman is seated on Kaplan's lap. (Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment)

Ron Palillo, who played Arnold Horshack on 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, has died in Florida.

TMZ reports Palillo, 63, suffered an apparent heart attack at his home near Palm Beach. The actor was found by his partner, Joseph Gramm, early this morning. Gramm called and ambulance and Palillo was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

AP cites friend Karen Poindexter, who says he was pronounced dead at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

The Palm Beach Post quotes a friend of Palillo's as saying the actor "had not been ill."

Palillo, who had been teaching acting classes at G-Star School of the Arts for about three years, was known as one of the Sweathogs in Mr. Kotter's class on the show, along with John Travolta.

"Ron was a wonderful person and talent, and helped catapult Welcome Back, Kotter to great success," Travolta told AP. "We will miss him."