By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Jul 20, 2016 at 12:26 PM

2016 tragically claimed yet another entertainment giant Tuesday, as television and film writer-producer-director Garry Marshall passed away in Burbank, Calif., at the age of 81, following complications of pneumonia following a stroke.

Marshall, however, leaves behind an impressive and iconic television resume – including serving as a writer on several episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" as well as helping bring "The Odd Couple" and, of course, the Milwaukee-set hit sitcom "Happy Days" and its several, often equally beloved, spin-offs to life as their creator.

He also made quite an impact on the big screen, directing beloved romantic comedies like "Pretty Woman," "Runaway Bride" and "The Princess Diaries." And while his late output of movies – ranging from the Lindsay Lohan vehicle "Georgia Rule" to a trio of holiday-themed rom-coms – were often critically panned and performed unremarkably at the box office, there's something to be said about the fact Marshall made films unapologetically for women and about women, a group Hollywood then, and even still now, tends to treat as a niche audience.

Across television and film, Marshall also had a keen eye for burgeoning stars and how to utilize them in his projects. During his career, he helped launch Henry Winkler, Julia Roberts and Anne Hathaway all into stardom. They, and several others who worked with the producer over the years, took to Twitter to pay their respects to Marshall. 

There is no denying, whether you liked his shows and movies or not, he most certainly left his mark on entertainment and on Milwaukee – quite literally. 

Indeed, many across the nation got their first pleasant introduction to Milwaukee through Marshall's "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley" – though technically thanks to The Bronx native's fellow-executive producer Tom Miller, who was born and raised in the Cream City.

Thanks to Miller's local connection, plus Milwaukee's relatively cheap filming cost and overall Midwestern vibe, Milwaukee earned a spot on Hollywood's map and likely welcomed even more Milwaukee visitors.

For all of that – and much, much more – Garry Marshall, you will be missed. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.