'Pawn Stars' patriarch Richard 'Old Man' Harrison dead at 77
Richard Harrison, also known as The Old Man and the head of the Pawn Stars family, died at 77 this weekend, his family announced Monday.
Harrison, a Navy veteran, first opened his famous pawn shop in the late '80s with a $10,000 investment and used his uncanny knack for valuation to turn that into a multi-million dollar business whose day-to-day operations are now immortalized in Pawn Stars, according to Harrison's biography on History's website. Harrison died after a battle with Parkinson's disease.
Harrison's son Rick Harrison and grandson Corey Harrison both posted heartfelt messages about the passing of their family patriarch on Instagram Monday, announcing his passing and recounting how lucky they were to have him in their lives.
Rick Harrison's Gold & Silver Pawn Shop also posted a tribute to Harrison on Facebook, noting that "he was surrounded by loving family this past weekend and went peacefully."
Pawn Stars became an instant hit when it first aired in 2009, featuring Harrison and his family (and a few others) as they run the pawn shop and run into all sorts of people and the things they are trying to sell.
Harrison is known to viewers for his words of wisdom, his jokes, and his in-depth knowledge of all kinds of things that people want to sell.
