Famous for playing violent, uncompromising characters in his early career, and the grumpy old father from Everybody Loves Raymond in later years, actor Peter Boyle died December 12 from cancer and heart disease at New York Presbyterian Hospital. 

Boyle was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1935 to a staunchly Irish Catholic family. Before becoming an actor Peter spent three years with the Christian Brothers during the 1950s. “I prayed so hard I had calluses on my knees.

“I lived in the Middle Ages for three years. It just got too intense, so I went off to New York City to study acting,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Boyle, whose father, Peter Sr., was a TV personality in Philadelphia, went on to make his mark in such unforgettable films as Taxi Driver, The Candidate and Young Frankenstein. He also appeared in NYPD Blue and The X-Files, but he will be best remembered as Frank Barone, the character he played on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Boyle received seven Emmy nominations for his work on Raymond, and won an Emmy for a guest appearance on The X-Files.

Intellectual and articulate, Boyle did not resemble the cantankerous patriarch he played on Everybody Loves Raymond. His co-star, Ray Romano, paying tribute to him in a statement, noted that, “The fact that he could play a convincing curmudgeon on the show, but in reality be such a compassionate and thoughtful person, is a true testament to his talent…I feel very lucky to have known and shared great experiences with Peter, and I will miss him forever.”

Boyle met his wife Lorraine Alterman while filming Young Frankenstein in 1974. Alterman was interviewing the director Mel Brooks for Rolling Stone magazine and Boyle seized the chance to ask her out. Because of Lorraine’s friendship with Yoko Ono, he became close friends with John Lennon, and the former Beatle was best man at the couple’s wedding.

Despite suffering a stroke in 1990 Boyle continued to work, and landed the part on Everybody Loves Raymond in 1996. He suffered a heart attack in 1999 but soon returned to work on the series. A devoted family man, Peter is survived by his wife and two daughters, Lucy and Amy.