Heather Locklear is mourning the loss of her “brilliant” dad, Bill.
The Melrose Place actress paid tribute to her father, who died on June 1 at age 94, in a touching tribute via Instagram on Wednesday, June 12.
“The most brilliant man I have ever known. The bar is oh so high. The love of my life. The few the proud. I love you dad. RIP,” Locklear, 62, shared with her followers.
Bill — born William Robert Locklear — had been hospitalized since February, according to People.
An obituary published by the Ventura County Star in California on June 7 says Bill passed away “peacefully” and is survived by his wife of 68 years, Diane, his four children — including Locklear — six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
According to his obituary, Bill, who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, was inspired to follow in the footsteps of his father, Harper, and two older brothers, who all served in World War II. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1949 and was deployed to Korea from 1951 to 1952.
Upon his return from Korea, Bill moved to Los Angeles, where he met Locklear’s mother, whom he married in 1956.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and a PhD, Bill began a career in education that spanned decades. He worked at the University of California, Los Angeles for over 30 years, holding positions ranging from assistant dean of foreign affairs to acting director of the placement and career planning center in the 1990s.
Following his retirement, Bill enjoyed traveling the globe with his wife and served as an usher at the United Methodist Church of Westlake Village, per his obituary.
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“In his free time, he preferred to hit baseballs at the local batting cage, play golf at the local municipal course, and sit outside with friends and family while smoking cigars, drinking Trader Joe’s scotch and reminiscing about the good ol’ days,” said his obituary.
Locklear’s ex-husband, rocker Tommy Lee, whom she was married to from 1986 to 1993, was among those to offer their condolences to the actress.
“Gonna miss that man and his beautiful spirit! 💥 I’m sorry for you and your familys loss Heather 🤍,” Lee commented under Locklear’s post.
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