The news of Gerard’s passing was shared by his wife, Janet, through a heartfelt Facebook post on Tuesday. She described her late husband as her soulmate and revealed the devastating speed of the illness that took his life. “From the moment we realized something was wrong to his passing this morning was only days,” she wrote, expressing the deep sorrow of their loss. “No matter how many years I got to spend with him, it would never have been enough.”

Janet’s poignant message concluded with a reminder to cherish loved ones, urging others to “hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely.”

“Early this morning Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” his wife said on Facebook. “From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days.  No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough.”

“Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely,” she added. 

A statement from Janet was also shared on the actor’s official Facebook page. In the statement, Janet said that Gerard died while in hospice care and that he left her a message to share once he died. 

“My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying,” the statement read. “My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.”

“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos,” the statement continued.

“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” had two seasons, running from 1979 to 1981. Gerard played the titular character Captain William “Buck” Rogers, a 20th-century astronaut frozen in space for more than 500 years, who wakes up in 2491.