Oscar-winning illustrator and film director Gene Deitch has died at the age of 95.
He passed away “unexpectedly” on Thursday night in his apartment in Prague, Czech Republic, his publisher said.
The American born animator directed 13 episodes of beloved children’s cartoon Tom and Jerry and a number from the series Popeye the Sailor.
His movie “Munro” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1960.
He was nominated for the same award twice in 1964 for “Here’s Nudnik” and “How to Avoid Friendship.”
Born in Chicago in 1924, Deitch arrived in Prague in 1959 intending to stay for 10 days. But, after falling in love with his future wife, Zdenka, he ended up spending the rest of his life in the city.
He directed Tom and Jerry from behind the Iron Curtain and later captured life in communist Czechoslovakia – later the Czech Republic – in his memoirs “For the Love of Prague.
In 2004, he received the Winsor McCay Award for his lifelong contribution to animation.
Deitch is survived by his wife and by three sons from his first marriage, all of whom are cartoonists and illustrators.
Fans have shared tributes to him on Twitter, with one user writing “Thanks for making a major part of our childhood awesome Red heart You'll be missed
Another wrote: “RIP #GeneDeitch you made laugh with #TomandJerry for years as a child and that will never leave me."
