Actor William Christopher, best known for his role as Father Francis Mulcahy (shown top left) on the long-running 1970s television show “M.A.S.H.,” passed away peacefully on Saturday morning at home in Pasadena, California, his agent told The Associated Press. The show was set during the Korean War.

The actor’s agent, Robert Malcom, said the actor had been diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago.

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Christopher had been in hospice since the beginning of the week, an article in USA Today noted.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and two sons.

“Christopher’s kindly Father Mulcahy frequently struggled to offer spiritual guidance and pastoral care amid the horror of war,” a piece in Variety noted. “But he also managed to connect with the war-weary medical staff and combat victims using a combination of humor, warmth and plain-spoken counsel that was never dogmatic.”

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