Hallmark star Nathaniel “Nate” Pelletier has died. He was 53.
According to his obituary, Pelletier, who worked on the network’s When Calls the Heart as a transport department employee and actor, died suddenly on April 11 while home alone in Langley, British Columbia. His cause of death is unknown.
“He touched many lives with his generosity and extraordinary work ethic,” the obituary reads. “He was always there to lend a helping hand when needed and most times, before it was asked of him. He was charismatic and loved to meet new people, greeting them with his big smile and a warm hearty handshake.”
Pelletier is survived by his daughter, Myhrsades Jones, his brothers, Jeramie and Jason, his nephew, Andrei, his father, Perry Phillips, his mother, Yvonne Langevin, his stepbrothers, Gordon Langevin and Brian Langevin, his stepsister, Teri Van-Ryssel, and godmother Lee DeGoede.
When Calls the Heart premiered in 2014 and stars Erin Krakow as Elizabeth Thatcher, a young schoolteacher from a wealthy family who migrates from the big city to teach school in a small coal mining town in the 1920s. Per his obituary, Pelletier, who often played a taxi driver on the series, referenced his “work-family” as his “second greatest love.”
Earlier this month, Pelletier’s costar Martin Cummins, who portrays Henry Gowen on the hit series, paid tribute to Pelletier with a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
“I just came back from a ride on the bike Gord and Nate put together for the girls and I. I’m taking shade in Mexico under the awning Nate helped me figure out in the woods near the old cabin. I have spent more hours at work sitting in the blue room, in silence or in conversation with Gord and Nate than I have standing on tape with the camera rolling,” he captioned the post alongside various photos of his close friend. “Gord has always felt like a father figure to me, and Nate and I were his boys running around the town, hanging out in the woods and talking shit. Life is constantly changing. Things are never the same. The Valley will not be the same without Nathaniel Pelletier. He was a gentle soul and it was my honor to call him friend.”
The official When Calls the Heart Instagram page also shared that the cast and crew were mourning the loss of Pelletier, with production manager Mike Magnusson calling the actor a “true Unicorn” of a human being who smashed “every 14 hour day with a wide smile & endless cheer for all.”
He added that Nate “‘saw’ people, and was always there with a kind word. He leaves a void of spirit we will not be able to replace. Nate you were one of a kind, and we loved you. You will be sorely missed my friend.”
