The news of his death, which followed three years after Marty Krofft's passing, was announced on Instagram by his friend and business partner Kelly Killian. Additional details have not been released at this time.
"The last six years of my life were dedicated to him, and his life to me. During that time, he taught me more than I could ever put into words—about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature. I so wish I had more time with him," Killian stated.
The Krofft brothers popularized numerous pop-culture characters, from the bumbling Weenie the Genie to siblings Donny and Marie Osmond.
Television fans of a certain generation vividly remember "H.R. Pufnstuf," a live-action puppet series with a rowboat-themed opening song, a dragon named after the show who also served as the mayor of Living Island, and memorable characters like the witch Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo and her flying broom Vroom Broom. "H.R. Pufnstuf" aired with only 17 episodes in 1969 but lived on for decades through reruns and syndication. In a 2007 TV Guide poll, it ranked 27th on the list of all-time cult favorites.
Among other titles by the Krofft brothers are "Land of the Lost," "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl," and "Pryor's Place" with Richard Pryor. Their children's shows were so imaginative that critics sometimes speculated the Krofft brothers were under the influence of drugs—allegations they denied—while simultaneously overseeing entirely family-friendly programs like "Donny & Marie," the Osmond family's variety show from the 1970s.
The Krofft brothers received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and, two years later, their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.