Obama calls Robin Williams ‘one of a kind’

CHILMARK, Mass. (AP) — President Obama called Robin Williams “one of a kind” who shared his talent “freely and generously with those who needed it most.”

Williams was pronounced dead at his home in California Monday and officials said it appeared to be a suicide.

Obama said in a statement issued Monday night that Williams “arrived in our lives as an alien — but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit,” referring to Williams’ late 1970s role in the TV show “Mork and Mindy.” The president was on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

The president said the actor was generous with his comic talents for those who needed it, including troops abroad.

The statement said: “The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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