David Ogden Stiers reportedly wanted to help people in the real world just as much as his character Major Charles Winchester wanted to help people on M*A*S*H*.
The late M*A*S*H* star, who passed away at the age of 75 in March after a battle with bladder cancer, left his fortune and other property to charities, according to his will, which was obtained by TMZ.
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His hundreds of thousands of dollars fortune was reportedly left to be split between several different charities, with Stiers allocating $50,000 each to five different organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, My Sister’s Place, and Newport’s Children’s Advocacy Center. Another $50,000 is reportedly set to be given to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in order to establish a scholarship program for someone planning a political career.
Along with earmarking his fortune for charities, Stiers also wrote in his will that his CDs and DVDs be donated to the Newport Library, while his vinyls, artwork and wine collection will be given to the Newport Symphony Orchestra. His Tesla Model X was reportedly left to the Newport Symphony music director, and his Oregon home was left to Jeremy Robinson, the man named as his conservator.
Stiers, who was best known for playing surgeon Major Charles Winchester on M*A*S*H*, died at his home in Newport, Oregon on March 3, 2018.
His acting career began in 1971, with an appearance in Jack Nicholson’s Drive, He Said and as an announcer in George Lucas’ THX-1138.
After several roles in TV movies and shows, he found his breakthrough role as on M*A*S*H*, beginning in 1977. He played the role in over 130 episodes through 1983 and earned two Emmy nominations. He also earned an Emmy nomination for the 1984 TV movie The First Olympics: Athens 1896.
Although Stiers continued to work in front of the camera, his booming voice soon became familiar to children around the world who grew up on Disney movies of the 1990s. He served as narrator and voiced Cogsworth in Disney’s 1991 film Beauty and the Beast, then voiced both the villain Radcliffe and Wiggins in 1995’s Pocahontas.
He went on to voice the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Mr. Jolly in the TV Series Teacher’s Pet, Jumba in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and narrated Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004).
With entire generations of fans having come to know and love Stiers for his work, his death had a ripple effect on social media, with fans taking to Twitter to mourn his death and celebrate his successful and lasting acting career.
