Bob McGrath, one of the first human characters on Sesame Street and a long-running member of the show, has passed away at the age of 90. In a moment that is truly bittersweet, fans are remembering when McGrath himself explained how it feels to lose someone you love and how we can take comfort in having known them.
During McGrath’s run on the show one of the other characters, Mr. Hooper played by Will Lee, passed away in order to reflect the actor’s own passing. Sesame Street took this as an opportunity to teach children about death and how difficult it can be to come to terms with it. In the clip, Big Bird struggles to accept that his friend is truly gone and talks about how it won’t be the same without him. At this point, McGrath, playing the character of Bob Johnson, steps in to offer these words of comfort and wisdom,
You’re right, Big Bird. It’s… It’ll never be the same around here without him. But you know something? We can all be very happy that we had the chance to be with him, and to know him, and to love him a lot when he was here.
Fans are now taking the words to heart once more as they mourn the loss of a man who likely will have been a profound presence in their lives as they watched and were educated by the show growing up.
Many chose to simply honor McGrath by sharing the quote on Twitter.
Some have been reminded of just how special McGrath’s speech is.
The quote allows people to feel their grief and also find comfort.
Many choose to honor McGrath by sharing just how big an impact he had on them.
Other quotes were also brought up to mark McGrath’s life and all that he stood for.
This user reminds us of the legacy that McGrath left behind.
It’s surprisingly hard when someone who we looked up to in our childhood passes away, as we remember all that they taught us and the wisdom they imparted. In the case of Bob McGrath, he championed kindness and compassion for others in his near five-decade run on Sesame Street, from 1969 to 2016. He left an indelible mark on his fans and all those who tuned into the show.
Our thoughts and condolence are with his friends and family at this time.
