Just heard that Ron Palillo, best known as “Horshack” on the 1970s TV series Welcome Back Kotter, died in his sleep from an apparent heart attack. He was 63.

Ron is the second one of the Welcome Back Kotter "students" to die this year. Back in January, Robert Hegyes, who played the tough Jewish Puerto Rican student, Juan Epstein, also died of what was termed an apparent heart attack. He was just 60.

Hope Gabe Kaplan, who portrayed former Sweathog turned teacher Gabe Kotter, John Travolta, who played student Vinny Barbarino, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, who cooly portrayed Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington are all taking really good care of themselves!

Apparently it is not that unusual to have a heart attack in one's sleep. Didn't know that just before waking is a time that is a challenging time for the heart, but a Dr. Crandall, chief of the cardiac transplant program at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., says that "When the body begins to waken, a rush of powerful hormones is released, including cortisol and adrenocorticotropin. These powerful hormones get the body going, but they can also be dangerous if you have underlying heart disease, whether or not it’s been diagnosed.”

Guess that's all the more reason for that line in my childhood bedtime prayer that says, "If I should die before I wake..."

Here's an article with more details. Ron Palillo of Welcome Back Kotter fame

By the way, I used to watch this show fairly frequently. Anyone else enjoy it?

I watched it some. These folks' are in their 60's? Guess it depends what age decade you're in, whether this seems old or not.
Just lost a couple friends in their 60's and to me that's too young!