The entertainment industry mourns the passing of a funny man. Comedian Ralphie May passed away last Friday, Oct. 6. His lifeless body was discovered in a private residence in Las Vegas, where the comedian holds a residency at Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.
May's representative Stacey Pokluda spoke to USA Today to confirm the sad news. She added that the comedian had a performance at the hotel on Thursday after canceling his other dates to recover from his bout with pneumonia, which had plagued him for months.
Pokluda disclosed that May's cause of death was cardiac arrest which happens when an electrical problem causes the heart to stop pumping blood completely. When that occurs, blood containing oxygen fails to reach the brain, lungs and other vital organs.
Both rock legend Tom Petty and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner passed away due to cardiac arrest.
May used his obesity as the main source of his jokes in his standup routine. He joined the comedy talent search "Last Comic Standing" on NBC and managed to win second place. The win helped him score several standup comedy specials for Comedy Central and Netflix.
Pokluda also revealed that May had just nabbed the Casino Comedian of the Year award at the Global Gaming Expo. She added that the comedian's residency at Harrah's Las Vegas was slated to last until the end of the year.
In a statement released by May's manager, Judi Marmel, she said, "As his manager and his friend, I will miss his laugh, his generosity to fellow comedians, his trademark orneriness, and his enormous love of life. He left us entirely too soon — and we can only wonder where his comedy might have taken all of us. We send our love to his family his fans, and all the comics who shared stages with him across the country."
The comedian is survived by his wife Lahna Turner and two children, daughter April June and son August James.
