On New Year’s Eve day, the world once again mourned the death of a celebrity: this time, it was actor William Christopher, 84,  who was best known for portraying Father Mulcahy on the beloved TV show M.A.S.H.

According to Cnn.com, Christopher had been recently diagnosed with a small carcinoma and had been doing fine for about a year and a half, until his health took a recent turn for the worse. He passed away peacefully at his home in Pasadena, California with his family by his side.

William Christopher was born in Evanston, Illinois and  started his acting career (like so many others do) in off Broadway shows in New York City, which eventually led to several Broadway shows and bigger roles. Without a doubt, his biggest role came in 1972 when the 1970 hit movie M.A.S.H. was turned into a television series for CBS.

The series ran for 11 successful seasons and was about the surgeons, staff, and patients of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Christopher played Father Francis Mulcahy for all 11 seasons of the show.

Co-star Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the show, said this about Christopher, “…his pals from M.A.S.H. miss Bill powerfully. His kind strength, his grace and gentle humor weren’t acted. They were Bill.”