Originally appeared on E! Online
Hollywood is mourning the death of a beloved Baywatch alum.
Michael Newman — who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006 — died from heart complications on Oct. 20 while "surrounded by his family and friends," his friend Matthew Felker told People. The actor was 68.
"Few of us are lucky enough to have someone like Mike Newman enter and change their life," Felker wrote on Instagram Oct. 21 alongside videos of the two. He explained the two met five years ago when Felker was beginning work as the director of the "Baywatch" documentary miniseries, After "Baywatch: Moment in the Sun." "Mike was able to see the series come to fruition."
According to Felker, Newman — who played the character Newmie on the show from 1989 to 2000 — "was not only a real life hero. He was a competitor through and through."
"I got to see Mike before he passed away," Felker wrote. "He was unconscious mostly… when I showed up he was awake almost like a miracle and looked at me and said ‘you're just in time' and laughed. That was Mike. He found humor all the way until the end."
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Felker added that right before he left the room, Newman "grabbed my hand as tight as he could and looked me dead in the eyes and just nodded, I nodded and said. ‘We will see each other again.. I promise.'"
Newman was the only member of the "Baywatch" cast who had actually worked as a Los Angeles County lifeguard. He was also a firefighter for L.A. County during the run of the series, and continued as a full time firefighter after the show ended.
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Before his death, Newman had been candid about how his Parkinson's diagnosis at the age of 50 made him reevaluate his life.
"This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn't want, but it's brought me wisdom," he told People in August. "My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson's has now become the center of my life."
He added, "I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I'm taking life seriously. It's not a run-through."
Newman is survived by his wife Sarah and their children Chris and Emily.
