Jack Ketchum Cause of Death: How Did ‘The Girl Next Door’ Author Die?

Jack Ketchum cause of death

The Ohio Heroin Epidemic/YouTube

Jack Ketchum, whose real name is Dallas Mayr, died on Wednesday, January 24. The actor and writer, best-known for penning The Girl Next Door, passed away following a battle with cancer. The kind of cancer that he was diagnosed with is unknown. He was 71 years old.

“Jack Ketchum, passed away this morning, after a long battle with cancer. He was grateful for all of you, and he will be sorely, sorely missed,” a message posted on Ketchum’s Twitter account read. The message was posted by a webmaster who identified himself as “Kev.” He also wrote a blog post and uploaded it to Ketchum’s website a short while ago. You can read that post below.

“Dallas Mayr, aka ‘Jack Ketchum’ passed away this morning. I first met Dallas in 1999, at World Horror in Atlanta.  James A. Moore was a friend of mine, and handed me a copy of The Girl Next Door, and told me I needed to read it. I couldn’t put it down. Dallas was a guest, and I had him sign my copy. I also blew the rest of my funds on other Jack Ketchum books. I told him ‘you and I are going to get along great!’ By fortunate coincidence, a few months later, I found out he was looking for a webmaster.  I offered my services, and we’d been working together for almost 20 years now. Dallas was a kind man, and our relationship went from boss/employee to friendship to adopted family. I am truly grateful and honored that he let me be a part of his life, and I will miss him more than I know how to say. Godspeed, Dallas. I love you.”

The novelist, who obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, was born Dallas Mayr, but used a pseudonym when writing. He is known by Ketchum and also Jerzy Livingston. He came up with his pseudonym “Jack Ketchum” after being inspired by Texan cowboy-turned outlaw, Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum, according to IMDb.

Ketchum has written horror fiction for more than thirty years. His debut novel, Off Season, was released in 1980. Since then, he’s written more than a dozen novels, many of which have been turned into movies. Ketchum has also done some acting, appearing in The Lost and Header in 2006, The Girl Next Door (which he wrote), in 2007, Red in 2008, and Offspring in 2009.

Over the years, Ketchum’s books have won numerous awards. He won two Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction, one for The Box in 1994 and the other for Gone in 2000. The Haunt was nominated for the same award in 2002.

His dad, Dallas William Mayr (1908-1997), was in World War II. His mom, Evelyn Fahner Mayr (1915-1987), was an accountant and office manager, according to IMDb. Jack Ketchum was an only child. He was not married, nor did he have any children.

“When I’m writing at my best, what I’m trying to do, I find, is to point out how some people poison the world for the rest of us, who are only trying to live humanely and lovingly. It’s a warning against the ‘others,’ and a call to awareness, strength, and gentleness,” Ketchum previously said.

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