'The Office' Star Mark York Dies After Suffering 'A Brief And Unexpected Illness'

"The Office" actor Mark York passed away last week due to an illness, a report has revealed.

York's "The Office" co-stars, family, and fans are mourning his passing. The 55-year-old died at the Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio on May 19 following a "brief and unexpected illness," E! News reported. York is survived by his mother Becky, father Glenn and brothers Brian, Jeff and David, as per People.

York previously appeared in the early seasons of "The Office" playing the character of Billy Merchant, who owned the Scranton Business Park building where Dunder Mifflin's offices were located. His last appearance was in the season five episode "Dream Team" where Michael (Steve Carell) rented a storage closet to serve as his office for the Michael Scott Paper Company.

Several Twitter users were sad to hear about his passing. Many of them sent their last messages for him on the microblogging site.

"R.I.P. Mark York, AKA BILLY MERCHANT from The Office: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/mark-york-dead-the-office-billy-merchant-1234980718/… He was a terrific human, a positive force and a dynamic actor. You will be missed," actor Rainn Wilson tweeted.

"RIP Billy merchant. I’ll always remember how it took him three times as long to brush his teeth than the rest of us. And his love for chili’s," one commented.

"So sad! RIP! I’m watching Dream Team right now! when he takes Michael Pam and Ryan to the closet for their new office at the Michael Scott Paper Company. RIP," a second user wrote.

"Let me just stop you right there…and leave RIP to a legend," a third netizen added.

"Nooooo! Rest In Peace Mark. My condolences to his loved ones," another wrote with crying emoji.

"Rip mark York aka billy merchant," a different user added.

York was raised in Ohio and left for California to pursue acting and eventually landed small TV roles on "CSI: New York" in 2004 and "Fighting Words" in 2007. Aside from acting, York loved to invent. He had been working as an inventor and had recently secured two patents for his inventions, TMZ reported.

York was also an avid sports fan, according to his family. His favorite teams were Cincinnati Reds, Ohio State football and Kentucky Wildcats basketball.

"He was a competitive spirit that kept them laughing throughout their time together," his obituary read. "He will be deeply missed by all the lives he has touched."