Editing Robert Urich (section)

== Illness and death ==
In July 1996, Urich announced his diagnosis with [[synovial sarcoma]], a rare cancer affecting [[soft tissue]]. Despite his illness, he continued working, underwent treatment, and advocated for cancer cure research. He received an award from the [[John Wayne]] Cancer Institute and the [[Gilda Radner]] Courage Award for his cancer awareness efforts.<ref name="pittsburgh" /> He and his wife established the Urich Fund at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to support cancer research. Additionally, Urich donated $125,000, his winnings from an episode of ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]''.<ref name="portsmouth" /> He was declared cancer-free in 1998 and became the national spokesperson for the [[American Cancer Society]] that year.<ref name="cnn" />

In November 2001, Urich shared in an interview that doctors had found [[tumor|lumps]] in his body, but a new medication had successfully treated them.<ref name="portsmouth" /> A week before his death, he was hospitalized at [[Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]] with respiratory problems. He died there on April 16, 2002.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K6tAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815,5910479&dq=robert+urich+cancer&hl=en| title=Robert Urich, actor in 'Lonesome Dove', 'Spenser: For Hire', dies of cancer at 55| date=April 17, 2002| newspaper=Lodi News-Sentinel| page=7| agency=[[Associated Press]]| access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Robert Urich, 55; Popular Star of 'Vega$' and 'Spenser'| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-17-me-urich17-story.html| last=King| first=Susan| date=April 17, 2002| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| page=B10| access-date=January 4, 2013| url-access=subscription}}</ref> His funeral Mass was held on April 19 at [[St. Charles Borromeo Church (North Hollywood)|St. Charles Borromeo Church]] in [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]].<ref name="cnn" /> A statement was released by his publicist Cindy Guagenti, and said Urich's wife and three children were with him when he died.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-04-17 |title=Robert Urich, 55; Popular Star of 'Vega$' and 'Spenser' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-17-me-urich17-story.html |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Urich's body was cremated, and his ashes interred at the family's vacation home in [[Prince Edward County, Ontario]], Canada. A memorial stands in the West Lake Church of Christ Cemetery, near their vacation home.