AceShowbiz -

Veteran actor Jack Klugman has just passed away. The beloved star of "The Odd Couple" died peacefully with his wife by his side on Monday afternoon, December 24 at his home in Northridge, California, following a period of declining health.

Jack was 90. The Oscar Madison depicter is survived by his wife Peggy, two sons David & Adam and two grandchildren. "He went very suddenly and peacefully," Adam said of his father's death as quoted by Reuters. "He was there one minute and gone the next."

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," he spoke lovingly of his late father. His brother David additionally said to Associated Press, "His sons loved him very much. We'll carry on in his spirit."

Playing the slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, Jack partnered with Tony Randall who portrayed the fastidious, hypochondriac news writer Felix Ungar. The mismatched couple amused million viewers with their dysfunctional relationship as they shared an apartment in Manhattan.

"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Jack once said of their on-screen chemistry. "A script might say, 'Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."

Jack won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his role on the classic sitcom. He also won another Emmy for his work on another TV series "The Defenders". His other credits included Broadway productions and big-screen movies including "12 Angry Men".

Playing Juror #5, he was the last surviving actor among the twelve stars who portrayed the jurors. He was supposed to appear in a stage production of the movie at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey in spring 2012, but backed out due to health reasons.