The familiar voice of American radio and longtime Top 40 host Casey Kassem has died at the age of 82.Mr. Kasem died Sunday at a hospital in Gig Harbor, Wash., surrounded by family and friends. Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, took to Facebook to announce news of her father’s death: “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad.”

Kerri Kasem
Kerri Kasem announced her father's passing via Facebook.

In 2013, his children filed a legal petition for control, alleging that Mr. Kasem was suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease and that his wife was isolating him from friends and family members. Mr. Kasem also suffered from Lewy body disease, a form of dementia.

 

Kasem’s wife was temporarily stripped of her caretaker role in May, when she moved him from a Los Angeles medical facility to a friend’s home in Washington, alleging that it was to protect Kasem’s privacy and consult with doctors. However, Kasem’s Washington stay resulted in a severe bedsore. By the time he entered hospital earlier in June, the former radio host was in critical condition.

More: Casey Kassem's Daughter In Charge Of Father's Healthcare

Before the troubling turn of his health, Kasem’s voice was a staple for millions, as his Sunday morning broadcast ran on hundreds of different radio stations for nearly four decades. Vintage cartoon fans will also know that he voiced the perpetually hungry, perpetually scared Shaggy in the Scooby-doo series between 1969 and 2009.