‘The Office’ actor Mark York dead at 55

Mark York, who played Billy Merchant in “The Office,” died last week in Dayton, Ohio. He was 55.

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York’s death on May 19 was confirmed by the Montgomery County coroner’s office, The New York Times reported. According to the coroner’s office, York died in a hospital of natural causes. York’s family said in an obituary that he had died after “a brief and unexpected illness.”

York has been a paraplegic since 1988, Variety reported. According to his obituary, York did not allow his disability to prevent him from having “an outgoing, uplifting, positive attitude and personality.”

“He always tried to look at what he could accomplish and do, not what he couldn’t do,” the actor’s obituary said. “He had experienced many travel opportunities and many dreams for the future.”

York appeared in four episodes of “The Office” from 2006 to 2009, according to IMDb.com. York played the property manager at the office park where Dunder Mifflin was housed, the Times reported.

The character of Billy Merchant was also a paraplegic and was introduced during the show’s second season, according to IMDb.com.

He had a memorable exchange with Michael Scott, the office manager played by Steve Carell, during a meeting about disability awareness, the Times reported.

When Scott attempts to equate Merchant’s wheelchair use to burning his foot on a George Foreman grill, Merchant interrupts, saying, “You know what, Michael? Let me stop you right there … and leave.”

“The letters I get about the character are great,” York told People in a 2010 interview, adding that one fan wrote that he “shed light on how crazy office politics can be” for workers with disabilities.

Marcus A. York was born on Nov. 27, 1965, in Arcanum, Ohio and graduated from Arcanum High School, the Times reported. In 1988, a car accident left him disabled but gave him “a new lease on life,” according to a biography on his website,

York began acting shortly after graduating from Anderson University in Loma Linda, California, People reported.

In addition to his role in “The Office,” York also appeared in “CSI: New York, Passions,” and “8 Simple Rules.” His film resume includes Steven Spielberg’s “Artificial Intelligence,” according to People.

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