Captain Kangaroo hops off into the sunset

Posted Friday, January 23, 2004 at 11:12 AM Central

by John Couture

Bob Keeshan, the animated entertainer best known the world over as Captain Kangaroo, died in his sleep today at 76. In a statement his family said that the cause of death was a long illness.

Captain Kangaroo ran on CBS for over 30 years educating two generations of children with his whimsical stories and interaction with characters in his house. Bob Keeshan had previously appeared on The Howdy Doody Show, creating the character of Clarabell The Clown.

Known for his bowl haircut, bushy mustache and deep pockets of his coat, Captain Kangaroo won six Emmys, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards during its run.