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End of an era: Dolphy passes away

(UPDATE3) The King of Comedy is gone forever.

Rodolfo "Dolphy" Vera Quizon Sr., who made countless of comedy movies and whose humor was embraced by generations, has passed away.

He was 83.

According to his publicist, Nene Riego, Dolphy passed away at the Makati Medical Center 8:34 pm Tuesday, after a long bout with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. In recent weeks, Dolphy was also struck by pneumonia and had to undergo blood transfusions. Makati Medical Center also issued a statement saying that Dolphy passed away due to multiple organ failure, secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and acute renal failure.

Dolphy’s long-time partner, Zsa Zsa Padilla herself confirmed the comedy king's death. Before Dolphy passed away, Zsa Zsa has requested that the Comedy King’s remains be brought to ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater for one day. She also bought a lot at Heritage Memorial Park.

Dolphy started performing at age 17, when he began working for a month as chorus dancer at Avenue Theater in Manila. His first stage name was Golay.

His first ABS-CBN show was the highly-successful “Buhay Artista.” It was at this time that Dolphy started making movies for various independent film companies.

Dolphy (NPPA Images)
Dolphy (NPPA Images)

Dolphy also put up his own company, RVQ (for Rodolfo Vera Quizon) Productions.

The long-running “John en Marsha”, a family-oriented prime time sitcom on Channel 9 where he starred with the late Nida Blanca, was such a hit, it spun off various movie versions. “John en Marsha” also starred a very young Maricel Soriano as Shirley, John (Dolphy) and Marsha’s daughter.

On the big screen, Dolphy is known for playing gay roles in the hit movie “Facifica Falayfay” and in the highly-acclaimed “Markova: Comfort Gay.”

Dolphy released the biography, “Dolphy, Hindi Ko Ito Narating Mag-Isa” on his 80th birthday on July 25, 2008.

Pres. Noynoy Aquino conferred on Dolphy the Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart in 2010.It is the highest award given to a private citizen by a president. Dolphy also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Gawad Urian, the Cinemanila International Film Festival, PMPC Star Awards for TV and the Metro Manila Film Festival.

The Guillermo Mendoza Foundation Awards named him Box-Office King together with Vic Sotto in 2009.

Dolphy won Best Comedy at the PMPC Star Awards for TV for “Home Along Da Riles,” “John En Marsha” and “John En Shirley.”

He won the Best Actor award for “Father Jejemon” at the Film Academy of the Philippines’ Luna Awards in 2011. He also won Best Supporting Actor at the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival for the film “Rosario”.

Yahoo! Philippines OMG! gave him a tribute during the 2nd Yahoo! OMG! Awards last July 6, Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

(With reports from Thea Alberto-Masakayan)