Short Biography

Christopher D`Olier Reeve(September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He established himself early as a Juilliard-trained stage actor before portraying Superman in four films, from 1978 to 1987.

On May 27, 1995, Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in an accident during the cross country portion of an Eventing competition. He was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries, and for human embryonic stem cell research after this accident. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from cardiac arrest caused by a systemic infection. Reeve married Dana Morosini in April 1992, and they had a son, Will. Reeve also had two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from a previous relationship with Gae Exton. Dana Reeve died of lung cancer in March 2006.

Reeve was born in New York City on September 25, 1952. His father, Franklin D`Olier Reeve, was a teacher, novelist, poet and scholar of English, Welsh and French descent. He was a Princeton University graduate and, when Christopher was born, was studying for a master`s degree in Russian language at Columbia University. Franklin`s father, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial for over twenty-five years. Despite being born wealthy, Franklin Reeve spent summers working at the docks with longshoremen. Reeve`s mother, Barbara Pitney (née Lamb), a journalist, had been a student at Vassar College, but transferred to Barnard College to be closer to Franklin, whom she had met through a family connection. They had another son, Benjamin, born on October 6, 1953. Reeve`s father was descended from a sister of Elias Boudinot, as well as from Massachusetts governors Thomas Dudley and John Winthrop, Pennsylania deputy governor Thomas Lloyd, and Henry Baldwin, a US Supreme Court Justice. Reeve`s mother was the granddaughter of Mahlon Pitney, another US Supreme Court Justice, and was also a descendant of William Bradford, a Mayflower passenger.

Reeve died of heart failure at the age of 52. His doctor, John McDonald, believed that it was an adverse reaction to the antibiotic that caused his death. A memorial service for him was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, where he and his wife had worshipped.

Dana Reeve headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, and died on March 6, 2006 at age 44. They are survived by their son, William, and Christopher`s son Matthew and daughter Alexandra (both from his relationship with Gae Exton). Christopher is also survived by his parents and Dana by her father. Matthew and Alexandra now serve on the board of directors for the Christopher Reeve Foundation. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

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