Christopher Reeve dies at 52

Oct 11, 2004 by Ian Evans

Actor Christopher Reeve, who became a tireless worker for the cause of spinal cord research, has died at the age of 52. Reeve, most famous for portraying the Man of Steel in four Superman movies, died Sunday of complications from an infection caused by a bedsore. A cardiac arrest on Saturday caused him to slip into a coma. He died with his family at his bedside.

Reeve, who suffered his spinal cord injuries in a 1995 horse-riding accident, was a major supporter of spinal cord research, and his name was mentioned in connection with the issue by Senator John Kerry during the second presidential debate on Friday.

Reeve, who also appeared in the movies Somewhere in Time, Deathtrap, Village of the Damned, The Remains of the Day, and The Aviator, still did work as a narrator and director and even made appearances on TV shows including Smallville and The Practice.