His is a career devoted wholeheartedly to bringing light and laughter to the world – however, Martin Short’s personal life has long been marred by tragedy.
The recent passing of the comic actor’s daughter Katherine Haley, 42, marks the latest heartbreak to befall the Short family, following an extensive and gut-wrenching history of personal loss.
The Only Murders in the Building star has spoken openly about grief over the years, reflecting on the deaths of his brother and both parents during the early stages of his burgeoning comedy career.
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As he sought to make a name for himself within the industry, the now-75-year-old actor navigated grief, whilst maintaining his characteristic optimism and glass-half-full mentality.
In a past interview with PEOPLE, which came shortly after the actor was first signed with Saturday Night Live in 1984, a then 34-year-old Short spoke at length about his family – and the unexpected loss of his eldest brother and parents.
He told the publication that despite this particular chapter of his life being one of the most difficult, he was not afraid to revisit it.
“There isn’t a period of my life that I don’t like to think about or wouldn’t go back to,” he reflected.
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He added that although he’d lost more than most over the course of his life – he was loathe to label his family as “tragic”.
“It sounds like a tragic family, but it really isn’t,” Short clarified.
“My mother had cancer, and she had been ill and then in remission since I was 13. She was a remarkable person; both my parents were.”
His mother Olive, a violinist, passed away when Short was 17 years old – a mere five years after the unexpected passing of his eldest brother, David, in a car accident.
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This loss was then followed soon after by the death of his steel executive father, who suffered a stroke two years later.
Speaking on the series of losses to the Guardian in 2012, he revealed that his upbringing had left him well-equipped to handle anything life threw at him.
“I think the reason all that didn’t throw me sideways was because I had such a solid foundation.”
However, Short later experienced the death of a loved one yet again, with Nancy, his wife of 36 years, passing away after a battle with ovarian cancer in 2010.
Opening up about the loss of his wife, he revealed it had been “a tough two years” for the pair’s three adoptive children – Henry, now 36, Oliver, now 39 and Katherine.
“This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does you gain a little and you suffer a little,” short admitted.
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In the wake of Short’s most recent loss, the family released a joint statement to PEOPLE, revealing they were “devastated”.
“Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world,” it finished.
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