Harold Ramis News Update: The Ghostbuster star suffered from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis. According to his wife Erica Mann as reported by Yahoo Movies, it is a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels.

Fox News reported that his agent said in a written statement, "His creativity, compassion, intelligence, humor and spirit will be missed by all who knew and loved him."

According to BBC News, Ramis began having health problems following an infection that ultimately caused his rare condition in 2010.

Ramis earned several tributes from friends and previous workmates. As quoted from Yahoo Movies, Bill Murray said in a statement, "He earned his keep on this planet. God bless him." His "Ghostbusters" co-star Dan Aykroyd wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer/performer and teacher Harold Ramis." "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman also acknowledged the passing of "the most agile mind I've ever witnessed." And Billy Crystal, who starred in Ramis' "Analyse" movies, called him "A brilliant, funny, actor and director. A wonderful husband and dad. Big loss to us all."

Chicago Tribune said that Ramis also left behind a reputation as a mensch and all-around good guy.

Ramis was born in Chicago to convenience store owners Ruth and Nathan. He studied at Washington University in St Louis and, on graduation, temporarily worked in a psychiatric ward.

According to BBC News, he started his career as a writer by contributing arts stories for his local newspaper and editing Playboy magazine's "party jokes" section.

He joined Chicago's well-known Second City improvised comedy troupe after leaving his job in the magazine but said he realised his boundaries as a performer after encountering John Belushi.

"When I saw how far he was willing to go to get a laugh or to make a point on stage, the language he would use, how physical he was, throwing himself literally off the stage, taking big falls, strangling other actors, I thought: 'I'm never going to be this big."

Instead, as quoted from the report, "he played the straight man acting as a sardonic foil to Bill Murray in the army comedy Stripes, and playing the most straitlaced and scientifically inclined of the Ghostbusters trio."

Ramis leaves behind his wife, Erica Mann, his daughter, Violet, his sons Julian and Daniel, and two grandchildren.