Who is Peter David’s wife Kathleen O’Shea? Fans express condolences to the comic book writer’s family in light of his passing

Celebrated comic writer Peter David passed away on 24 May. The news was released by a friend and followed by an announcement by his wife Kathleen O'Shea, who is a writer and puppeteer and currently works as the associate editor for Time and Space Magazine. Kathleen O'Shea posted on her Facebook, writing:

"Since it is out there. Peter David passed away last night. We are devastated. More when I can write about it."

Peter David has been suffering from numerous health issues for the past couple of years, for which a GoFundMe page was set up by his close friend, Graham Murphy. His death at the age of 68 came as quite a shock to fans, with many of them taking to social media to pay their respects.

More about the life and career of Peter David, as comic writer passes away

Peter Allen David was born on 23 September 1956 to Gunter David and Dalia Rojansky and grew up in New Jersey with his parents and two siblings. In a 2011 interview, Peter David talked about how he got his sense of humor from his mother, saying:

"My mother’s name is Dalia. She’s where I got my sense of humor from. My mother and I would crack other up while my poor father sat there like Margaret Dumont in a Marx Brothers film just not getting any of it. The worst was during Passover sedars."

As a child, Peter David was fascinated by the world of comics, and later, his passion for writing led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in journalism from New York University. According to Newsweek, Peter David previously worked as a reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin before starting his work as a comic writer.

In response to a series of questions asked by fans on his blog back in 2003, Peter David discussed how he, as a comic writer, wrote his scripts. He said,

"I write full script. I break down each page on a panel by panel basis and label them as PANEL A, PANEL B, and so on. Then I describe what’s in each panel, and then do the dialogue, numbering the balloons. I designate the panels with letters and the word balloons with numbers so as to minimize confusion for the letterer. There is no standardized format in comics scripts, the way there are in movie screenplays"

When asked by another fan as to what he did before getting his big break in the comic world, Peter David said:

"I worked in sales and distribution, first for Playboy Paperbacks, and then for five years as assistant direct sales manager, and later sales manager, for Marvel Comics. Probably my work on the Hulk. My work on Spider-Man gave me my start and got me noticed, but the Hulk is what really cemented things…such as they are."

Peter David was first married to Myra Kasman, from 1977 until their divorce twenty-one years later in 1998. The former couple had three children. Peter David later married Kathleen O'Shea in 2000, and they welcomed their first and only daughter, Caroline Helena David, in December 2002.

Peter David had a long history of health issues dating back to 2010, when he underwent surgery to relieve his back pain. According to the updates posted on his blog, just two years later, in 2012, he suffered a stroke, after which he lost movement in his right arm, but with time his condition improved. In 2014, David was diagnosed with type two diabetes. Later, in 2022, Peter David suffered Kidney failure, followed by a series of strokes, the news of which was revealed through the GoFundMe page set up by his friend, Graham Murphy. The fundraiser, which has now closed, raised $300,614, had also mentioned in the latest update by Kathleen O'Shea that he had been dropped by Medicade, leading to mounting expenses.

Fans pay tribute to the legendary comic writer

Peter David was known for his legendary works, which included The Incredible Hulk, Supergirl,r-Man 2099, and Aquaman: The Atlantis Chronicles. He was also known for his contributions to Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force, and Babylon 5.

Fans from all over the world have posted condolences in light of his passing. One fan wrote:

"One of the absolute greats, in the top tier league with Chris Claremont, Frank Miller and Roger Stern. He will be missed."

Another fan tweeted:

"Rip one of the legends."

A netizen stated:

"This sucks. I was keeping in touch with his gofundme page and I hoped he would pull through. Rip."

Young Justice is on of the first great comics I ever read. The campfire issue is one that I still think about all the time. Heaven has gained another great." said another.

A netizen noted:

"Oh man... its so heartbreaking. He was one of the coolest writers ever. Everything he touches became epic."

Another fan added:

"He made me fall in love with Multiple Man… his Star Trek writing is some of the best we have."

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Peter David is survived by his wife, Kathleen O'Shea, and daughters, Guinevere, Shana, Ariel, and Caroline.

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