Darren Criss in mourning after death of father Charles William Jr.

Darren Criss' father Charles William Jr., or Bill, has passed away due to a rare heart condition. He was 78.

The Filipino-American actor and musician announced the news on his Instagram account on Monday morning.

"Bill Criss has left the building. After many years of coping with a rare heart condition-which, true to his form, very few would have even been aware of- he finally checked out peacefully yesterday morning surrounded by his loved ones," he wrote.

Darren posted throwback photos of his father during his younger years and the moments he shared with him.

 

 

 

 

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Charles William Criss, Jr. May 1941 - April 2020

A post shared by Darren Criss (@darrencriss) on

Apr 27, 2020 at 5:24pm PDT

In a moving tribute for his father, Darren said Bill was every inch the exemplary man: a devoted husband, an outstanding father, a loving grandparent.""

He added that he was a "true gentleman through and through, and was a constant source of joy and inspiration for me."

"I've spend most of my life trying to be like him, wanting to see and do all the incredible things he did and I'm so grateful he was around to see me actually pull a few off. He was there for all the greatest moments of my life which of course, he always dressed up for," he added. "I cherished him every day and will forever."

—Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/JCB, GMA News