‘The Office’ Actor Mark York Dead at 55

“The Office” actor Mark York has died at the age of 55.

According to his obituary, York died “following a brief and unexpected illness” on May 19 at Miami Valley Hospital.

York — a paraplegic since 1988 — played Dunder Mifflin’s office building manager Billy Merchant, whose wheelchair made him a target of awkward comments from bumbling office manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

After hearing the news, York’s “The Office” co-star Rainn Wilson tweeted, “R.I.P. Mark York, AKA BILLY MERCHANT from The Office. He was a terrific human, a positive force and a dynamic actor. You will be missed.”

Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly on the hit show, tweeted, “Mark was a lovely man and a pleasure to work with. Very funny every time. Much love to his family.”

York also appeared on “CSI: New York” and “8 Simple Rules.”

His family remembered him as “an outgoing, uplifting, positive attitude and personality.”

His obituary stated, “He always tried to look at what he could accomplish and do, not what he couldn’t do. He had experienced many travel opportunities and many dreams for the future. In the past several years, he had been working as an inventor, and had obtained two patents for his inventions. He loved TV and the film industry. Mark could quote so many lines from movies and tell you who particular actors were in most movies.”

“He was an avid sports fan, ALL sports, and especially liked the Cincinnati Reds, Ohio State football, and Kentucky Wildcats basketball,” his family shared in the obit. “Mark also loved coming home to his mom’s house and playing numerous table games with her and his brother Brian for hours on end. He was a competitive spirit  that kept them laughing throughout their time together. He will be deeply missed by all the lives he has touched.”

York is survived by his parents, Becky and Glenn, as well as his brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins.