Comedian Jerry Lewis died of end-stage heart disease -coroner

Comedian Jerry Lewis died of end-stage heart disease when he passed away at his home at age 91 in Las Vegas on Sunday, Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said on Monday.

The determination was made by a hospice care doctor and given to the Coroner's Office, and no further inquiry is required, Fudenberg told Reuters by telephone.

Lewis was receiving in-home hospice care before his death, Fudengerg said.

Lewis parlayed his distinctive style of low-brow comedy into a long-running movie and stage career. He also became a fund-raising powerhouse with his annual Labor Day telethon.

He partnered with Dean Martin as a comedy duo in the 1940s and 1950s. At their height, the pair set off the kind of fan hysteria that once surrounded Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.

Lewis' best known films include 1963's "The Nutty Professor," 1960's "The Bellboy" and 1982 comedy-drama "The King of Comedy," which was directed by Martin Scorsese. 

- Reuters