The Office

‘The Office' Actor Mark York Dead at 55

According to an obituary, "The Office" actor Mark York died at the age of 55 after suffering "a brief and unexpected illness" earlier this month. He portrayed Billy Merchant in the show

Actor Mark York as property manager Billy Merchant on "The Office."
NBC

"The Office" is mourning the loss of one of their co-workers.

According to an obituary, 55-year-old actor Mark York died in a Miami, Ohio, hospital on Wednesday, May 19, following "a brief and unexpected illness."

York previously appeared in the early seasons of "The Office" as the character Billy Merchant, who owned the Scranton Business Park building where Dunder Mifflin's offices were located. He last acted on the show in the season five episode "Dream Team," in which Michael (Steve Carell) rents a storage closet to serve as his office for the Michael Scott Paper Company.

According to his IMDb, York also appeared on "CSI: NY" and "Fighting Words."

In the obituary, shared by the Kreitzer Funeral Home, his family writes, "Even though he has been paraplegic since, 1988, he had such 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."

Comforting Episodes of The Office

"He loved TV and the film industry. Mark could quote so many lines from movies and tell you who particular actors were in most movies," the obituary said. "He spent many years living in California where he had many exciting moments pursuing his acting opportunities."

The obituary concluded, "He will be deeply missed by all the lives he has touched."

"The Office" cast has yet to address York's death, but numerous fans of the series have expressed their condolences on social media. One Twitter user remarked, "Saddened to hear of Mark York's passing. Billy was one of those characters who popped up & always killed me. Watching won't be the same now."

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