(CBS News) — Nevada’s Clark County Coroner’s office announced the cause of death of stand-up comedian Ralphie May. The office tweeted on Wednesday that May died of natural causes from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
May died at age 45 on Oct. 6; his body was found the same day at a private residence in Las Vegas.
His publicist, Stacey Pokluda, said May had been fighting pneumonia, which caused him to cancel a few appearances in the last month of his life.
In October, May was named casino comedian of the year at the Global Gaming Expo. He was booked through the rest of 2017 at Harrah’s Las Vegas.
May, a Tennessee native who was raised in Arkansas, parlayed a second-place finish on TV’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2003 into TV and club appearances.
His publicist said May’s survivors include his wife, Lahna Turner, and children April June and August James.
