The actor, who was best known for his portrayal of Billy Merchant on the NBC sitcom, passed away on May 19 at Miami Valley Hospital aged 55, according to his obituary.
- May 25, 2021
AceShowbiz - "The Office" fans are mourning the death of one of their favorite show's stars. Marcus A. York, or better known as Mark York, has passed away at age 55 following "a brief and unexpected illness," which isn't immediately disclosed.
According to an obituary for the actor, he died in the early morning of Wednesday, May 19 at Miami Valley Hospital. He is survived by his brother Brian York, mother Becky York, father Glenn York, additional brothers Jeff & David, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives and friends.
Mark, who had been paraplegic since 1988, didn't let his disability stop him from leading a life of positivity. In his obit, he's described as a person who had "an outgoing, uplifting, positive attitude and personality."
"He always tried to look at what he could accomplish and do, not what he couldn't do. He had experienced many travel opportunities and many dreams for the future. In the past several years, he had been working as an inventor, and had obtained two patents for his inventions," the obit further read.
Mark had appeared on a number of TV shows, including "CSI: NY" in 2004 and "Fighting Words" in 2007, but his most notable role was as Billy Merchant in seasons 1 and 2 of "The Office". His most memorable performance on the show was when his character was brought in for Michael Scott's (Steve Carell) disability-awareness meeting.
After news of his passing spread online, fans have left messages of condolences. "So sorry for your loss. What an amazing life he lived! Prayers to the family. His performance on The Office had me laughing until I had tears in my eyes. Rest in peace," one person wrote.
Another paid tribute to the actor, "Rest In Peace, Mark aka Billy Merchant. Glad to have known you." A third person added, "The Office is one of my favorite shows, I'm very sorry for your loss. Prayers to the York family. Thanks for laughs Mark,rest easy."
A fourth remembered Mark and his beloved character, "Rest in piece mark will always love you as billy merchant." Someone else echoed the sentiment, "My condolences to marks family. I love 'the office' and the scene where Michael Scott brings you in the conference room. RIP."
