Cormac Roth, the musician son of actor Tim Roth, dies of rare cancer at 25
A memorial service is scheduled for Friday at a Hollywood restaurant.
Cormac Roth, the musician son of actor Tim Roth, died of a rare type of cancer, his family confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 25.
The musician had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of childhood lymphoblastic leukemia that caused his immune system to be unable to fight it off, his publicist said.
He was due to appear in the Martin Scorsese comedy “Hugo,” directed by Robert Zemeckis, on Nov. 17, 2016, at the New York Film Festival.
Roth, who earned a bachelor’s from the University of Virginia and a master’s from Oxford University, received his first royalty check of $20,000 when he was 15 for his single “We’re Not in This Alone.”
He had spent much of his life in public service, beginning as a member of his church’s youth group and continuing as a student-at-large and a member of the United States Chess Federation, according to his biography on the website of his alma mater, the University of Virginia. Roth also worked for the United States Information Agency in Paris.
Born in Westfield, New Jersey, he is survived by his mother, Barbara Roth, and father, Tim Roth, 55, actor and musician, and his stepmother, Suzanne Roth, 35, a publicist.
“We are profoundly sorry and saddened by the untimely and unexpected death of our beloved son, Cormac,” Tim and Barbara Roth said in a statement. “Our family asks that you respect our privacy at this very difficult time.”
She added, “We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the love, support and comfort we received from our entire family, and especially from Tim and Barbara, during these difficult years.”
Tim Roth posted about his son in a Facebook post Monday.
“Cormac, we love you so very much and are so sorry for the loss of your beloved soul. We will honor your memory with songs, stories, and thoughts for our times