- "He strove to present an Uncle Phil that everybody wishes was their uncle," co-star Joseph Marcell says
- Avery starred as Uncle Phil on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
- Co-star Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted the news of Avery's death
- Avery was a classically trained actor raised in New Jersey
(CNN) -- Actor James Avery, who played the beloved Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," has died, his publicist said Wednesday. He was 68.
The cause of death was complications from open-heart surgery, said his manager, Toni Benson. Avery had surgery on November 11 and died Tuesday evening at a hospital in Glendale, California, according to Benson.
"Fresh Prince" co-star Joseph Marcell, who played the family butler Geoffrey, told CNN that Avery was "a marvelous man and a truly wonderful actor."
Avery played Philip Banks, the stern but loving uncle to Will Smith's character on the show.
"He strove to present an Uncle Phil that everybody wishes was their uncle," Marcell said.
Avery believed the show was important because the "striving of the African-American ought to have been shown on television," Marcell said. "What he has done for television, for African-Americans on television is unsurpassable."
"Fresh Prince" co-star Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted news of Avery's passing.
"I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away," Ribeiro wrote. "He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.
Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of Will Smith, posted the couple's condolences Wednesday on her verified Facebook page.
"Our condolences to aunt Florence (his mother), Miss Barbara (his wife) and all those who loved him," Pinkett Smith wrote.
A classically trained actor and poet, Avery grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was raised by a single mother. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and first appeared onscreen as a dancer in an uncredited role in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."
Click through to see people who passed away in 2013. 
Dr. John W.V. Cordice, the surgeon who operated on Martin Luther King Jr. after King was stabbed in Harlem in 1958, died Sunday, December 29, in Iowa. Cordice was 95. 
James Avery, who played Philip Banks on the TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," died Tuesday, December 31, at the age of 68, his publicist confirmed. 
Joseph Ruskin, who acted in 25 films and 124 television shows, died of natural causes Saturday, December 28, in Santa Monica, California, according to SAG-AFTRA. Ruskin was 89. 
Life magazine photographer John Dominis died at his home in New York City on Monday, December 30, at 92, according to LIFE.com. 
Jeffrey Ian Pollack, left, who directed the popular 1990s films "Booty Call" and "Above the Rim" and produced "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," was found dead on Monday, December 23. He was 54. He's pictured with producer Benny Medina in 2007. 
Ned Vizzini, author of "It's Kind of a Funny Story," died December 19 of blunt impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities. Vizzini committed suicide, according to the New York City medical examiner's office, though the office did not immediately say how. He was 32. 
Al Goldstein, the foul-mouthed publisher of Screw magazine and a pornography pioneer who helped move raunch into mainstream American life, died December 19 in New York. He was 77. 
Actor Daniel Escobar, who played a teacher in "Lizzie McGuire," died from complications of diabetes in Los Angeles on December 13, according to his agent. He was 49. 
"Great Train Robber" Ronnie Biggs -- one of the most notorious British criminals of the 20th century -- has died, his publisher told CNN on December 18. He was 84. 
Ray Price, the Nashville star whose trademark "shuffle" beat became a country music staple, died on December 16, his agent said. He was 87. 
Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine died December 15, her longtime friend Noel Beutel said. She was 96. 
Actor Peter O'Toole, best known for playing the title role in the 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia," died on December 14. He was 81. 
Tom Laughlin, the actor who wrote and starred in the "Billy Jack" films of the 1970s, died on December 12, his family confirmed. He was 82. 
Jazz guitarist Jim Hall, who played with the jazz greats of the 20th century and influenced the younger ones, died December 10, his family said. He was 83. 
Actress Eleanor Parker, nominated for three Oscars and known for her "Sound of Music" role, died on December 9, her family said. She was 91. 
Nelson Mandela, the prisoner-turned-president who reconciled South Africa after the end of apartheid, died on December 5, according to the country's president, Jacob Zuma. Mandela was 95. 
Bill Beckwith, co-host of HGTV's "Curb Appeal," died December 2 when his motorcycle collided with another vehicle in San Francisco. He was 38. 
Paul Walker, a star of "The Fast & The Furious" movie franchise, died November 30 in a car crash. He was 40. 
Paul F. Crouch, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, died November 30 at age 79, according to his website and the network's Facebook page. 
Comedian Jay Leggett, who produced a documentary about the joys of deer hunting, died of natural causes at the end of a deer hunt on November 23. He was 50. 
Officer Pat Rogers, featured on the TNT reality show "Boston's Finest," apparently took his own life on November 19, a police source said. 
Renowned psychic Sylvia Browne, a leader in the paranormal world who appeared regularly on television and radio and also wrote dozens of top-selling books, died November 20 in a northern California hospital, according to her website. She is pictured here with her granddaughter Angelia and son Christopher. 
The eldest daughter of Walt Disney, Diane Disney Miller, died on November 19, according a statement from the museum dedicated to the legendary animated filmmaker. She was 79. 
Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing died at her London home on November 17, her publisher said. The British author was best known for "The Golden Notebook," which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written. 
Celebrity chef Charlie Trotter, whose namesake restaurant in Chicago received a long list of culinary honors over its 25 years of service, died shortly after he was rushed from his home to a hospital on November 5. He was 54. 
Lou Reed, who took rock 'n' roll into dark corners as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, died on October 27, his publicist said. He was 71. 
Actress Marcia Wallace died on October 25, her agent said. Wallace voiced the character Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons" and is known for playing receptionist Carol Kester on "The Bob Newhart Show." She was 70. 
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Sharman -- who won four NBA titles as a player, one as a head coach and five in his club's front office -- died October 25 in southern California, his former teams said. He was 87. 
Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams died of natural causes on October 21. He was 90. Adams, whose team started in Houston as the Houston Oilers, co-founded the American Football League, which eventually merged with the National Football League. 
Lou Scheimer, a pioneer in Saturday morning television cartoons with hit shows such as "Superman," "Fat Albert" and "He-Man," died October 17 at 84, according to his biographer. Andy Mangels helped tell Scheimer's story in the book "Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation." 
"Bum" Phillips, the former NFL football coach who led the Houston Oilers to glory and struggled with the New Orleans Saints, died October 18 at age 90. 
Rep. Bill Young of Florida, the longest-serving Republican member of the House, died on October 18 at age 82, his office's chief of staff said. 
Former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley, 84, died at his home in Washington, his wife, Heather, confirmed on October 18. An earlier version of this gallery contained a photo incorrectly identified as Tom Foley. CNN regrets this error. 
Character actor Ed Lauter, who had small roles in movies and TV shows over four decades, died October 16 of mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, his publicist said. He was 74. 
Jazz vocalist Gloria Lynne, whose career included dozens of albums, died October 15 of a heart attack, her son said. She was 83. 
Maxine Powell, who helped nurture the style of Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross in the 1960s, died on October 14. The personal development coach for the legendary record label was 98. 
"MasterChef" runner-up Joshua Marks died October 11 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. He was 26. 
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos died on October 12, his agent said. Hijuelos was the first Latino to win the prestigious award for fiction for his 1989 novel, "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love." He was 62. 
Astronaut Scott Carpenter, the second American to orbit Earth, died on October 10, NASA said. He was 88. 
Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap of the Vietnam People's Army, a man credited with major victories against the French and the American military, died on October 4. He was 102. 
Photojournalist Bill Eppridge, who photographed Sen. Robert F. Kennedy moments after he was fatally shot in Los Angeles in 1968, died on October 3. 
American author Tom Clancy died October 2, according to a family member. He was 66. 
Hiroshi Yamauchi, who built Nintendo from a small card company into a global video-game empire before buying the Seattle Mariners, died September 19 in Japan. He was 85. 
Forty years after rising to the top of the boxing world and outdueling Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, left, died at a Nevada medical facility after a stroke on September 18. He was 70. 
British rocker Jackie Lomax, who recorded with legendary stars but whose own career always seemed a degree removed from fame, died on September 15 at the age of 69. The singer-songwriter-guitarist enjoyed a 50-year career playing with many of music's biggest stars -- notably the Beatles -- but personal commercial success eluded him. 
Ray Dolby, the American inventor who changed the way people listen to sound in their homes, on their phones and in cinemas, died September 12 in San Francisco. He was 80. The founder of Dolby Laboratories had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for a number of years and in July was diagnosed with acute leukemia. 
Ex-heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison died September 1, according to his former promoter Tony Holden. He was 44. Morrison defeated George Foreman in 1993 for the World Boxing Organization's heavyweight title. He also won fame for his role in "Rocky V." 
British broadcaster David Frost, best known for his series of interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1977, died August 31. He was 74. 
Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1995, died on Friday, August 30, at a hospital in Dublin. He was 74. 
British cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, right, died in his home on the Isle of Wight on Friday, August 23. The man behind the visual style of movies such as "Star Wars" and "Dr. Strangelove" was 99. Here, Taylor and director Peter Brooks, left, film "Meetings With Remarkable Men" in 1979. 
CBS News correspondent Bruce Dunning died Monday, August 26, from injuries suffered from a fall. Dunning was 73. 
Muriel "Mickie" Siebert, the first woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, died on Sunday, August 25, the Siebert Financial Corp. said. She was 80. 
Sid Bernstein, the promoter and agent who helped start the "British invasion" by bringing the Beatles to Carnegie Hall, died Wednesday, August 21, according to his publicist. He was 95. 
Marian McPartland, the famed jazz pianist and longtime host of NPR's "Piano Jazz" program, died Tuesday, August 20, of natural causes, according to her label. She was 95. 
Crime novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard, who was recovering from a stroke, died August 20, his literary agent said. He was 87. 
Actor Lee Thompson Young, best known for his roles on Disney's "The Famous Jett Jackson" and TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles," died August 19 at the age of 29. 
Actress Lisa Robin Kelly, one of the stars of TV's "That '70s Show," died August 14, according to her agent, Craig Wyckoff. Kelly was 43. 
British stuntman Mark Sutton died on Wednesday, August 14, after a parachuting accident in Switzerland. Sutton, 42, was well known for parachuting in as James Bond at the 2012 London Olympics. 
Gia Allemand appeared on season 14 of ABC's "The Bachelor." In a statement, her family said the 29-year-old's death apparently was suicide. 
Journalist Jack Germond died August 14, his wife, Alice, wrote in a note to friends. He was 85. Germond covered national politics for more than 50 years, including as a political analyst for CNN. 
Singer Eydie Gorme, best known for her 1963 song "Blame it on the Bossa Nova," died August 10 in Las Vegas after a brief illness, her publicist said. She was 84. 
Actress Karen Black, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 1970 film "Five Easy Pieces," died on Thursday, August 8, her agent said, after a long and public battle with cancer. She was 74. 
Sean Sasser, whose commitment ceremony on MTV's "Real World" in 1994 was a first for U.S. television, died Wednesday, August 7, his longtime partner told CNN. Sasser was 44. 
Jackie Gingrich, first wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and mother of his two daughters, died Wednesday, August 7, in Atlanta, according to the funeral home organizing her arrangements. She was 77. 
Margaret Pellegrini, who played the flowerpot Munchkin and one of the sleepyhead kids in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz," died at her home in Phoenix on Wednesday, August 7 after suffering a stroke, according to Ted Bulthaup, spokesman for the Munchkins. She was 89. Pellegrini was one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film. 
George Duke, seen here at the 2013 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May, died in August at the age of 67. The legend was known for his phenomenal skills as a keyboardist, and his ability to bridge together jazz, rock, funk and R&B. 
Baltimore Colts defensive tackle Art Donovan, a charismatic player who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968, died Sunday, August 4. He was 88. 
John Palmer, a veteran reporter for NBC News, died Saturday, August 3, after a short illness, according to the network. He was 77. 
Michael Ansara, the character actor best known for playing three iterations of Klingon leader Kang in different "Star Trek" series, died Wednesday, July 31. He was 91. 
Ossie Schectman, the former New York Knicks guard who scored the league's first basket, died Tuesday, July 30. He was 94. NBA Commissioner David Stern called Schectman a pioneer, "Playing for the New York Knickerbockers in the 1946-47 season, Ossie scored the league's first basket, which placed him permanently in the annals of NBA history. On behalf of the entire NBA family, our condolences go out to Ossie's family." 
Actress Eileen Brennan, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role as the exasperated drill captain in the movie "Private Benjamin," died Sunday, July 28, at her Burbank, California, home after a battle with bladder cancer. She was 80. 
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Frank Castillo drowned while swimming in a lake near Phoenix, authorities said July 29. He was 44. 
Ecuador striker Christian Benitez, the top scorer in the Mexican league last season, died of a heart attack Monday, July 29, at age 27. 
Syndicated radio host Kidd Kraddick died Saturday, July 27, at a golf tournament in New Orleans to raise money for his Kidd's Kids Charity. He was 53. 
Musician JJ Cale died Friday, July 26, after suffering a heart attack. He was 74. Above, Cale performs at the Carre Theatre in Amsterdam in 1973. 
Virginia Johnson, the pioneering sex researcher who was part of a groundbreaking team with William Masters, died at age 88 on July 24, her family said. Masters died in 2001. 
Former world-class boxer Emile Griffith, who won five titles during the 1960s, died July 23, the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced. He was 75. 
Actor Dennis Farina, a Chicago ex-cop whose tough-as-nails persona enlivened roles on either side of the law, died Monday, July 22. He was 69. Above, Farina shoots a scene as Detective Joe Fontana in "Law & Order" in 2004. 
Pioneer journalist and former senior White House correspondent Helen Thomas died Saturday, July 20, after a long illness, sources told CNN. She was 92. 
Jazz guitarist Carline Ray died at Isabella House in New York City, on July 18. She was 88. 
Cory Monteith, who played heart throb Finn Hudson in the Fox hit "Glee," was found dead in a Vancouver, Canada, hotel room Saturday, July 13, police said. He was 31. 
Douglas Englebart, the inventor of the computer mouse, died Tuesday, July 2, at his home in Atherton, California, according to SRI International, the research institute where he once worked. He was 88. 
Jim Kelly, a martial artist best known for his appearance in the 1973 Bruce Lee movie "Enter the Dragon," died on June 29 of cancer. He was 67. After a brief acting career, he became a ranked professional tennis player on the USTA senior men's circuit. Here he appears in the 1974 film "Three the Hard Way." 
Bert Stern, a revolutionary advertising photographer in the 1960s who also made his mark with images of celebrities, died on June 25 at age 83. Possibly most memorably, he captured Marilyn Monroe six weeks before she died for a series later known as "The Last Sitting." 
Alan Myers, Devo's most well-known drummer, lost his battle with cancer on June 24. Band member Mark Mothersbaugh said in a statement that Myers' style on the drums helped define the band's early sound. 
Singer Bobby "Blue" Bland, who helped create the modern soul-blues sound, died June 23 at age 83. Bland was part of a blues group that included B.B. King. His song "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" was sampled on a Jay-Z album. Bland was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. 
Marc Rich, the commodities trader and Glencore founder whom President Bill Clinton pardoned on his final day in office, died June 26 at age 78 in Switzerland. Rich often was credited with the creation of modern oil trading. He lived abroad after being indicted in 1983 for tax evasion, false statements, racketeering and illegal trading with Iran, becoming one of the world's most famous white-collar criminals. 
Richard Matheson, an American science-fiction writer best known for his novel "I Am Legend," died June 23 at age 87. During a career that spanned more than 60 years, Matheson wrote more than 25 novels and nearly 100 short stories, plus screenplays for TV and film. 
James Gandolfini died at the age of 51, after an apparent heart attack. Gandolfini became a fan favorite for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano on HBO's "The Sopranos." 
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