Harold Ramis: 1944-2014

Actor, director and producer Harold Allen Ramis, known for his work on such films as “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day,” passed away due to complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis on Feb. 24. He was 69.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Ramis has been dealing with the disease and its complications for a while. Ramis had an infection that’s led to more complications in May 2010. In late 2011, Ramis suffered a relapse and he never fully recovered.

Ramis had a condition that caused his blood vessels to become inflamed. According to the Vasculitis Foundation, this occurs when your immune system attacks your blood vessels by mistake.

Ramis started out his career by co-writing “Animal House” in 1978. He then co-wrote and directed “Caddyshack” in 1980. Ramis continued being recognized for his acting and co-writing work on “Ghostbusters,” 1984.

In 1993, Ramis co-wrote and directed, “Groundhog Day.”

Ramis was also responsible for “Analyze This,” 1999, and “Analyze That,” 2002; co-writing and directing both.

“Well, for me, it’s the relationship between comedy and life – that’s the edge I live on, and maybe it’s my protection against looking at the tragedy of it all. It’s seeing life in balance,” Ramis once said in an interview. “Comedy and tragedy co-exist. You can’t have one without the other. I’m of the school that anything can be funny, if seen from a comedic point of view.”