Martin Short’s daughter Katherine Short dies at 42
martin short’s eldest daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, has died at 42. The family said: "It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world. "
Scene and medical findings
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills home on Monday at about 6 p. m.; paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death as suicide and listed the cause as a "gunshot wound of [the] head. " The place of death was recorded as her residence. A law enforcement source said she died by apparent suicide.
Family, funeral and reaction
Katherine was the eldest of three children Martin Short adopted with his wife Nancy Dolman. The couple met while working on a production of Godspell in the early 1970s — 1972 is cited in some accounts — and married in 1980. Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010; one report gave her age at death as 58. Katherine’s younger brothers are named Henry and Oliver; one photo caption elsewhere gave Oliver’s full name as Oliver Patrick. The family has asked for privacy at this time.
Martin Short tour changes
martin short postponed a trio of shows on his joint comedy tour with longtime friend and collaborator Steve Martin. Venues and dates affected include a show originally slated for Friday in Milwaukee and Feb. 28 shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis that were listed as postponed. The next scheduled tour date without a postponement notice is March 13 in Washington, D. C.
Venue statements and postponements
The Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee was identified as the venue slated to host the duo on Friday; a Milwaukee venue notice attributed the postponement to "unforeseen circumstances, " with tickets to be honored for a future date and no new date given. A Riverside Theater announcement in Milwaukee said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Steve Martin & Martin Short’s show, originally scheduled for Friday, February 27th in Milwaukee, has been postponed. Tickets will be honored for a future rescheduled date. We will be in contact with further news when it is available. " Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis also confirmed schedule updates for the Feb. 28 performances.
Katherine Short’s work and education
Katherine Short was a Los Angeles social worker. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender studies from New York University in 2006 (also described in some accounts as gender sexuality studies) and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010. She operated a private practice and worked part-time at the psychiatry-led outpatient clinic Amae Health. She worked as a licensed clinical social worker providing community outreach, peer support and psychotherapy, and she was involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, whose mission is variously described as ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness and as empowering young people to build connected, empathetic and supportive school communities where conversations about mental health are welcome and stigma-free.
Friends, recent losses and tributes
Katherine Short’s death comes less than a month after actor Catherine O’Hara, a close friend and longtime collaborator of Martin Short’s, died of a pulmonary embolism following a private battle with rectal cancer. Martin Short and Martin paid tribute to O’Hara during a recent stop on their joint comedy tour; recalling meeting O’Hara when she was 18, Martin Short said, "In all these years later, she has been the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel. "
In a 2014 interview, Martin Short reflected on loss after the death of his wife, saying, "I’ve been asked to write books over the years. I knew it had to be something more important that just anecdotes. After my wife died, I realized we all go through this and we wake up the next day whether we think the world should stop or not — it doesn’t. " He published a memoir in 2014 titled "I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, " which he dedicated to his children. One report also noted, somewhat abruptly, "Martin Short is up for an Actor Award this Sunday for acto".
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK.
Katherine Short largely kept out of the public eye but sometimes attended events and walked red carpets with her father. Further details about memorial arrangements and any future public statements from the family were not available at the time of publication.
