John Masius, the two time Emmy-winning writer and producer whose credits included St. Elsewhere, Touched By an Angel, Providence and The White Shadow, passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home on September 13th after a nine month decline from ALS. The news was announced by his wife Ellen Bry, who played Nurse Shirley on St. Elsewhere. Masius was 75 years old.
Born on July 30, 1950 in Manhattan, Masius grew up in Scarsdale, New York. He earned degrees from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA Anderson School of Management.
While working as a waiter at a cafe in Venice, a chance meeting with producer Bruce Paltrow opened the door to what became a remarkable career. It started when he became a production assistant and then a writer and coordinating producer on Paltrow’s show, The White Shadow. Soon after, he segued to writing and producing on St. Elsewhere. His work on the series earned him two writing Primetime Emmy Awards.
He went on to create Touched by an Angel, which ran from 1994–2003, and Providence, which was on-air from 1999–2002. His later works, included Dead Like Me and HawthoRNe.
Over the course of his career, Masius was honored with multiple Writers Guild Awards, Humanitas Prizes as well as a People’s Choice Award and the Peabody Award.
He is survived by his three children, Hannah, Max and Sam, and by his former wife, Ellen.
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