How did PJ O'Rourke die? Tributes pour in as influential satirist passes away at 74

American satirist and journalist PJ O'Rourke passed away on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 74 at the time of his passing. Deb Seager, Vice President and spokeswoman at his publisher Grove Atlantic, confirmed the news of his demise, saying:

“Our dear friend and cherished Grove Atlantic author P. J. O’Rourke passed away this morning from complications of lung cancer.”

The spokeswoman also remembered his achievements and said:

“A journalist and political satirist, O’Rourke wrote over twenty books on subjects as diverse as politics, cars, etiquette, and economics, including his two #1 New York Times Bestsellers, Parliament of Wh*res and Give War a Chance.”

The political commentator first opened up about his cancer diagnosis in a 2008 Los Angeles Times op-ed titled “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”:

“I looked death in the face. All right, I didn’t. I glimpsed him in a crowd. I’ve been diagnosed with cancer, of a very treatable kind. I’m told I have a 95% chance of survival. Come to think of it - as a drinking, smoking, saturated-fat hound - my chance of survival has been improved by cancer.”

At the time PJ O’Rourke was diagnosed with a malignant hemorrhoid and contemplated his demise in his article. He wrote:

“The next time I glimpse death ... well, I’m not going over and introducing myself. I’m not giving the grim reaper fist daps. But I’ll remind myself to try, at least, to thank God for death. And then I’ll thank God, with all my heart, for whiskey.”

It is not known when the author went into remission for cancerous hemorrhoids and when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. However, it has been reported that he was ill in the months prior to his demise.

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A look back at the life of PJ O'Rourke

PJ O'Rourke was a political satirist, journalist and author (Image via Robert Daemmrich/Getty Images)

Patrick Jake PJ O'Rourke was an American political satirist, journalist, author and commentator. He was born on November 14, 1947, in a middle-class household in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Miami and earned a master’s degree in English from John Hopkins University.

The 74-year-old was part of the Alpha Delta Phi Literary Society and began his career by writing for American publications like The Rip Off Review of Western Culture, Harry and the New York Ace. He joined the National Lampoon in 1973.

O'Rourke grew up having leftist views but emerged as an influential satirist with libertarian ideas. He gained recognition as the editor-in-chief of the National Lampoon in 1970s and contributed to prominent works like the National Lampoon stage show Lemmings.

The author also co-edited the comedy book National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook, which became the bestseller of the year. Several themes from the publication were later adapted into the 1978 film Animal House.

O'Rourke established a freelancing career in 1981 and contributed to prominent publications like Vanity Fair, Car and Driver, Playboy and Rolling Stone, before becoming the foreign-affairs desk chief for the latter.

The journalist held the position until 2005 when he became a contributing editor of the publication. He even contributed to the pages of Atlantic Monthly, Automobile Magazine, Esquire, The Daily Beast and The Weekly Standard.

The Ohio-native went on to serve as a conservative commentator on shows such as 60 Minutes and Real Time With Bill Maher. He also became a regular panelist on the NPR quiz show Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

PJ O'Rourke even became the face of the long-running 1990s British Airways campaign in the U.K. He also published over 20 books during his lifetime, including Republican Party Reptile, Driving Like Crazy, Eat the Rich, Holidays in Heck and The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn’t My Fault) (And I’ll Never Do It Again), among others.

Two of his most prominent publications, Parliament of Wh*res and Give War a Chance, became the #1 New York Times bestseller. The satirist was also an H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute.

PJ O'Rourke was married to Amy Lumet between 1990 and 1993. Following their divorce, he married his second wife Tina in 1995. The couple also share three children together.

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Twitter mourns the loss of PJ O'Rourke

Well-wishers poured in their heartfelt tributes for PJ O'Rourke on Twitter (Image via Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)

PJ O'Rourke was known as a prolific satirist, author and journalist in America. Recognized for his wit, authentic reporting and irreverent writing style, O'Rourke’s strong political views went beyond the political divide in the U.S.

The Guardian deemed the satirist as “one of the most quoted writers in America,” whose “gonzo journalism” popularized the ideas presented by writers like Hunter S Thompson in the past.

His demise left several journalists, columnists and writers in shock, with many taking to Twitter to pour in their heartfelt tributes to the author:

PJ O'Rourke will certainly be missed by his family, friends, colleagues and contemporaries, but his legacy will always be cherished. He is survived by his wife Tina, daughters Elizabeth and Olivia, and son Clifford.