The year 2016 continues to deal devastating blows. Actor Ron Glass has passed away at the age of 71. He had been battling various illnesses, and ultimately succumbed to respiratory failure.

Glass was someone who meant something to a lot of different people. To many of us geeks, he was Shepherd Derrial Book on Joss Whedon’s cult favorite space western, Firefly, and the movie that followed, Serenity, a soft-spoken older man with a mysterious past and seemingly infinite wisdom and guidance to offer. For those who are a little bit older, Glass was Detective Ron Harris on 164 episodes of Barney Miller, which ran from 1976 to 1982. His work there was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1982, going up against fellow Barney Miller star Steve Landesberg, two stars on M*A*S*H, and Taxi stars Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd, with Lloyd taking home the award.

Firefly and Barney Miller are the two big titles Glass was known for, but he appeared in so much more. He made a career out of short stints on many different shows, including All in the Family, Maude, Hawaii Five-O, The Bob Newhart Show, Good Times, Sanford and Son, The Twilight Zone, Murder She Wrote, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager, CSI, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just to name some.

Glass’s representative Jeffrey Leavitt offered a brief statement on the passing, saying:

Many of Glass’s Firefly co-stars have also shared their thoughts, which can be found below along with a video of one of Shepherd Book’s scenes from Serenity that unfortunately didn’t make the final film, and some music to shed a tear or two to remembering our fallen shepherd.

Ron Glass
1945 — 2016

"Shepard, don't move." "Won't go far." We love you, Ron Glass. Don't go far.

A photo posted by Nathan Fillion (@natefillion) on Nov 26, 2016 at 2:09pm PST

He got there with grace, humor & enormous heart. He was, among so many other things, my Shepherd. Raise, appropriately, a glass. Rest, Ron. pic.twitter.com/yzPly7TmgE

— Joss Whedon (@joss) November 26, 2016

This is me acting like an idiot just so I could hear Ron Glass laugh. He was the kind of person that remembered the details, that asked about your family's well-being. He hugged hard and often. He would laugh till he cried at a sick joke and top it with a worse one. He loved a Grey Goose crantini and spilled one on my white jeans in the heat of telling a story, and then just said, "Girl, those were ugly pants anyway." I adored him. Everybody did. I love you, Ron. Can't wait to see you again. "I don't care what you believe. Just believe it."

A photo posted by Jewel Staite (@jewelstaite) on Nov 26, 2016 at 2:29pm PST

Ron Glass was one of the greatest actors to work with. His laugh was beyond infectious and his generosity was ever present. #ripronglass

— alan tudyk (@AlanTudyk) November 26, 2016

Ron Glass was also a sassy smart ass and I prize that very much. A leaf on the wind. #ripronglass

— alan tudyk (@AlanTudyk) November 26, 2016

Happy rebirth, dear Ron Glass.

Among the kindest and gentlest souls to have walked this earth with us.https://t.co/rF1bDPxeRa

— Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) November 26, 2016

Ron Glass. What an honor it was to know you, to work beside you and to have called you my friend. You will be missed. I love you sir.

— Sean Maher (@Sean_M_Maher) November 26, 2016

[Source: TMZ]