Peanuts creator Charles Schulz probably had no idea that his drawings and musings of a boy and his dog would become so popular and so important to the world of pop culture. There are generations of Americans who grew up knowing Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and even Peppermint Patti and Woodstock too.

While many of us kept up with the daily activities of the Peanuts gang through our hometown newspaper's comics section, we were most intrigued by the animated Peanuts specials that would air around the holidays. For most of us, A Charlie Brown Christmas sets the stage for many of our holiday traditions.

In those many Charlie Brown TV specials, the voice of Charlie was provided by Peter Robbins. Robbins began working as the voice of Charlie Brown in 1963 while he was still a young boy. Lucy was voiced by actress Tracy Stratford, Linus was voiced by Christopher Shea and Snoopy was voiced, yes, he had a voice, by Bill Melendez.

Charlie Brown Christmas to Air on Apple+
Charlie Brown Christmas (CBS)
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These actors brought Charles Schulz words to life and while we remember that work and those characters for all the joy they brought us, there is a sadness to report today. Peter Robbins, the voice of Charlie Brown has died.

Robbins family announced his passing yesterday. Sadly, the cause of death was listed as suicide. Peter Robbins was 65. According to earlier reports, Robbins had been diagnosed with some mental issues and was working through them.

Just to be clear, Robbins life outside the world of Charlie Brown and Peanuts had been anything but all roses and sunshine. He was sentenced to almost five years in prison in 2015 for making criminal threats against a number of people. Among those people was San Diego County California Sheriff William Gore.

Still, despite his demons, Robbins and especially the character he lent his voice to were very well-loved and highly thought of in industry circles.

If you or someone you love is having trouble dealing with life on life's terms or perhaps there are other outside agents, such as drugs and alcohol, clouding your vision of happiness, please seek professional help. Or, at least confide in a trusted friend or family member. There is help for those who are suffering pain between their ears. You're not alone.

SUICIDE CRISIS LINE - 1- 800-273-8255

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