Photo: Instagram
He passed away with his daughter by his side.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Nov 10, 2019
One of the legends of daytime television has passed away. William Wintersole, who played attorney Mitchell Sherman on the CBS soap opera The Young And The Restless for over 20 years, died overnight on Tuesday, according to an announcement from his daughter.
The 88-year-old actor had been suffering from cancer for some time and his death was due to complications of the disease.
While Wintersole was best known for his work on The Young And The Restless, he has been working steadily on television since the 1960s. While he didn't have many recurring roles, he appeared on episodes of dozens of shows including the original Star Trek, Little House on the Prairie, The Mod Squad and Simon and Simon.
How did William Wintersole die? Read on for all the details.
1. William's early years
Wintersole was born in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1930. He kept the details of his early years private but he did serve in the military. IMDB notes that he was with the American Forces Radio and Television service during the Korean War, assigned to AFKN HQ at station KILROY in Taegu, Korea. By the 1960s, he had moved to the West Coast to begin what would be a steadily successful acting carer.
2. Film and television work
His earliest acting credit was a role in The Outer Limits in 1964. He worked regularly in television and films after that, appearing on shows such as The Fugitive, Peyton Place, Star Trek, Little House on the Prairie, and The Mod Squad. He was also in films including Valley of the Dolls, and TV movies such as The Day The Bubble Burst and And The Band Played On. While he played dozens of roles over his lifetime, it wasn't until he broke into soaps that he had a recurring role on a single program.
3. Soap opera years
In 1986, he landed the role of Mitchell Sherman on the long-running soap opera The Young And The Restless. He portrayed an attorney who worked with the fictional Katherine Chancellor and at Newman Enterprises on the show. He played the role from 1986 until he retired in 2011.
4. Announcement of his death
His daughter Tiffany Harmon took to Facebook to announce that her father had passed away earlier this week. "Early Tuesday morning my father Bill Wintersole passed,” Harmon wrote in the post. “My bond with him was strong. His heart pure. He spoke to me with his facial expressions, as his gift was communication with ANY BODY...ANYWHERE...ANYTIME. A Legend. An entertainer and my beautiful daddy. #collectiveconsciousness as he rises above to protect me and those many fans who loved him.”
Harmon is also a radio personality and on her professional page she wrote: I'm so glad that I got to share him on my show with my listeners. As a Hollywood actor for 60 years, he touched many ppls lives. I did EVERYTHING I could for him..and that brings me peace. But alas...I miss him so. One love!"
The Young and the Restless producers shared the news on twitter and offered condolences to his family, saying "Our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of William Wintersole who graced #YR with his talents as Mitchell Sherman for over 20 years."
5. How did he die?
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Wintersole's death was a result of cancer. His daughter wrote about caring for him over the years of illness and how she had also cared for her mother before she passed away some years ago. Now Tiffany Harmon is happy to be able to look through clips of her father's work as she grieves his loss. "in the past 2 years...we have spent so many times w. trips to the hospital> nursing home> home, and back all over again... that we did not get the chance to just sit and watch these treasures," Harmon wrote. "So upsetting but so happy that I can have the internet to search... and search... and share... and love him even more for being such a great talented actor. I watched him on soaps mostly... the rest of the time, I was busy being a kid. I did my best...and I really was present and accounted for — for these past years...after I was relieved of the immense care I gave to my mom."
The show sent their condolences.
6. Family left behind
Wintersole is survived by his long-time partner, Marlene Silverstein, daughters Tiffany Harmon and Katherine Ramsey, granddaughters Kristy, Amy and Jill, and great granddaughter Abby. He will also be missed by his colleagues and fans.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.