Actor Phil 'Uncle Owen' Brown dead at 89
Source: UPI

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. (UPI) -- Actor Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen in the 1977 hit film "Star Wars," has died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 89.

Brown died of pneumonia Thursday at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Brown was blacklisted during the McCarthy period, although he always denied being a Communist, the newspaper said. He left Hollywood for London, where stayed for 40 years appearing on stage and in films such as "Tropic of Cancer" and "Twilight's Last Gleaming."

George Lucas was filming interior "Star Wars" scenes in London in the mid-1970s and stumbled across Brown as he was looking for an actor with a strong U.S. accent for the role of Uncle Owen, the newspaper said.

When he returned to California in early 1990s, Brown was surprised to learn his small "Star Wars" had made him a cult celebrity.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, a son, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Most men seem to go before their wives, or at least, die very soon after.

Well we do have a shorter life span. Though I always felt that was because Men are more likely to do stupid things and die young. Plus most men marry younger women instead of vice versa.

Certainly the case here - he was 24 years older than his wife, although he might have had a first wife.

I think it was that he'd been married to his wife for 65 years not her age.