Voice actor Rick May, known for video game roles like Soldier in Valve’sTeam Fortress 2and both Peppy Hare and Andross inNintendo’sStar Fox 64, has passed away after contracting coronavirus in a nursing home where he was rehabilitating from a stroke in February. According to the announcement put out by Rekindle School, where he was working, “Rick was a wonderful teacher whose classes and students meant the world to him. He’ll be deeply missed.”
May’s experience on video games also extends to Sucker Punch Productions’Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, Ensemble Studios’Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings, as well as edutainment titles like Humongous Entertainment’sPajama Sam 2: Thunder and Lightning Aren’t So Frightening,according to his Internet Movie Database (IMDb) profile. However, Rekindle School also brings a lot of attention to his work in theatre, both as the artistic director of the Renton Civic Theatre and Civic Light Opera, and as a performer with an award-winning one-man show about Theodore Roosevelt.
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The VA’s sudden passing has led to a number of tributes being posted on social media, in large part by fans of his work inTeam Fortress 2. Valve’s iconic multiplayer first-person shooter, which went throughnearly a decade of development hellbefore being released in 2007, is well known for its colorful cast of characters. Soldier, in particular, has seen widespread attention for his ability to perform rocket jumps to bypass large pieces of terrain.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to the confirmed deaths of 111,652 people worldwide according to the April 13 Situation Report put out by the World Health Organization (WHO). A number of those reported casualties are high-profile cases like May, includingYogi Bear’s voice actress Julie Bennett.
However the disease is not absolutely fatal and measures have been put in place across the globe to stem its spread, including the closure of businesses, schools, and production on TV shows, games, and movies. Tom Hanks, another high-profile individual who tested positive for COVID-19, hosted the at-home broadcast ofSaturday Night Liveon April 11 that included askit about Call of Duty: Warzone streamers.
No doubt May will be missed, not only by his family and loved ones but also by the thousands of fans of games likeTeam Fortress 2all over the world. Organizations like WHO and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have outlined numerous guidelines on how to stay safe amid the ongoing pandemic.
