Richard "Old Man" Harrison, the patriarch of the Pawn Stars family and one of the most beloved cast members passed away on June 25.
The official Facebook page for Las Vegas' Gold and Silver Pawn broke the news in a status update, which was then followed by a statement from his son Rick to Fox News.
Richard Benjamin "˜The Old Man' Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved. He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over.
He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool "˜Old Man' as my dad. That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him.
He lived a very full life and through the History television show "˜Pawn Stars' touched the lives of people all over teaching them the value of loving your family, hard work and humor. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and ask that we are provided some privacy at this time.
For nine seasons, the 77-year-old appeared on the show, which is centered around the pawn shop he and Rick opened in 1988. He was known for his playful sense of humor and his tight bond with his son, grandson Cory Harrison, and Austin "Chumlee" Russell, Cory's childhood friend.
However, when it came to the shop's dealings, he always had a straight-forward, no-nonsense approach.
While it was never revealed on the show that the Navy veteran was sick, Rick later confirmed that his father died from complications related to a "long battle with Parkinson's."
This also explains why he was noticeably more absent from the more recent episodes of Pawn Stars.
Like any responsible person would do, Richard, who is survived by his wife Joanne and two other sons, Joseph and Christopher, made sure his ducks were in a row before he died.
He drafted a will that outlined his estate's worth, executor, and beneficiaries, and Blast recently obtained details pertaining to Old Man's finances and how they will be handled.
According to the source, Richard last amended his will in 2017, and one of the changes took many by surprise.
He originally named his wife and all three of their children as beneficiaries, but he later changed his mind and cut his youngest child out of the estate.
"I would like to express my love and affection for Christopher Keith Harrison," states the document. "However, for purposes of this Will, I have intentionally and with full knowledge failed to provide for him and his issue."
The reason why Richard made this decision is unclear, but in a statement to Fox News, Rick said that the decision was previously discussed among the family and that "it is a private matter."
As for the executor, the patriarch chose Rick to be in charge of making decisions and fulfilling his wishes regarding his estate.
Christopher has yet to comment on the matter.
