The beloved ‘Saved by the Bell’ principal Dennis Haskins died at 75, with documentation revealing a private battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The hallways of Bayside High feel a little emptier today. Dennis Haskins, the actor who anchored a generation of television as the long-suffering, kind-hearted Principal Richard Belding on the smash hit ‘Saved by the Bell,’ died at age 75.
He passed away on September 27 at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. While his presence on screen was defined by a loud, boisterous charm, his final chapter was marked by a quiet, deliberate withdrawal from the public eye.
Documentation from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reveals that Parkinson’s disease was the primary cause of his death. The certificate also notes he was living with hypertension, depression, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and IBS.
In the years leading up to his passing, Haskins lived in an assisted-living facility. He had become a recluse, intentionally severing contact with his ex-wife, Sarah Quinones, and many of his close friends. Those close to the situation believe he chose this isolation to shield his battle with Parkinson’s from the public. preferring to be remembered as the steady. reliable figure he portrayed on screen rather than the man struggling with the onset of his illness.
His career was a marathon of persistence. With more than 100 acting credits, Haskins was a fixture on television sets through at least 2020. His filmography spanned iconic series including ‘The West Wing,’ ‘7th Heaven,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘New Girl,’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’
When news of his death emerged in late September. the ‘Saved by the Bell’ cast shared their grief for the man who served as their surrogate mentor. Tiffani Thiessen. who played Kelly Kapowski. recalled him as a steady presence in her teenage years—a figure who managed to keep the cast in line while making it clear he was always in their corner. Mario Lopez, who starred as A.C. Slater, honored him as everyone’s favorite principal.
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, spoke to a friendship that spanned nearly 40 years. She described his passing as a deep. personal hurt. remembering him as a loyal friend with a gentle. kind heart who remained a fabulous person through decades of shared history. For his colleagues and his audience. the loss is not just of an actor. but of the specific warmth and laughter he brought to the screen.
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