Inside Gene Wilder's Final Days And Why He Hid His Condition

(Photo: Twitter / @Variety)It was important to Gene Wilder that he kept his Alzheimer’s [...]

By Jameson Brown

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(Photo: Twitter / @Variety)

It was important to Gene Wilder that he kept his Alzheimer's diagnosis a secret up until his passing at the age of 83.

Wilder hid his health struggles from the public and lived a low-key life these past couple of years, rarely being seen out in public.

Before Wilder's diagnosis three years ago, his nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman told PEOPLE, the actor was "living an idyllic life" in Connecticut and California. "He would read the newspaper every morning and his personal life was fuller and richer in the last 25 years then it had even been before," Walker-Pearlman said.

Wilder "always recognized the people he loved and never changed his core personality. In that sense we were lucky," his nephew said.

Wilder chose to keep his diagnosis a secret, especially for his young fans.

"We would go out and kids would light up when they saw him," said Walker-Pearlman. "He didn't want to bear any responsibility for taking away that light or the smiles. He knew there would be a parent, with the best of intentions, who would whisper something to their spouse and cause that child to feel less joy than they did when they first saw him."

In September 2015, Wilder and his wife of 25 years, Karen Boyer, attended the U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament. People grew concerned about his health issues due to his appearance, but nothing was confirmed at the time.

"When people would say hi to him, he wouldn't always remember their name or face but he knew to give them energy and light," says Walker-Pearlman. "He was an artist and he always knew how to perform and make people feel inspired and comfortable."

This article first appeared on Womanista.com

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