Harrison’s son, Rick, confirmed his death in an emotional Instagram post on Monday, calling his father his “hero.”
“Richard Benjamin ‘The Old Man’ Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved. He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over,” he wrote. “He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool ‘Old Man’ as my dad. That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him.”
Along with the message, Rick posted a photo of Harrison wearing a pair of sunglasses and a hat.
“He lived a very full life and through the History television show Pawn Starstouched the lives of people all over, teaching them the value of loving your family, hard work and humour,” he continued. “We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers and ask that we are provided some privacy at this time.”
In a second post, Rick revealed Harrison died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“Today I lost a friend, a father, a teacher and so much more,” he wrote. “The Old Man lost his long battle with Parkinson’s this morning. Love you Dad. See you on the other side.”
Harrison owned the Las Vegas-based Gold & Silver Pawn Shop with his son in 1989. The family business became the subject of the highly successful History Channel show Pawn Stars.
The show premiered in July 2009 and features local experts who visit the shop and help evaluate the rare, and strange items brought to the store by sellers.
In a statement to TMZ, the History Channel said they were “deeply saddened” by the loss of Harrison.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the Pawn Stars family. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor. Our thoughts are with the Harrison family during this difficult time.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.
