RIP Did You Know ... Gone Too Soon!

Actor Andrew Koenig, the 41-year-old former "Growing Pains" actor who has been missing since February 14, has suffered from depression, according to statements from his family and law enforcement officials. "Andrew has recently been despondent, and his family and friends are concerned for his well-being," Vancouver police said in a statement released Sunday February 14 - 2010.

"Andrew was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance," the family said in a statement.
Koenig, who played Richard "Boner" Stabone — star Kirk Cameron's best friend, on "Growing Pains" — was visiting friends in Vancouver and was expected to return home to Venice, California, on February 16. His father, Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the original "Star Trek" TV and film franchise, last spoke with his son on February 9-2010. He received a troubling note from Andrew, postmarked February 15. Andrew has not been seen since Valentine's Day."He sounded despondent," Walter said of the note. "Nobody has seen this [note] but my wife and I."   Andrew committed suicide, his father told reporters after his son's body was found Thursday in a park in Vancouver, British Columbia. My son took his own life," Walter Koenig said at a news conference in the park. The body of the former "Growing Pains" star was found by several friends who conducted their own search of Stanley Park, where Andrew Koenig liked to walk, his father said.  His body was found so deep in the park, you could tell that he didn't want to be found. Koenig, 41, was first reported missing by his parents after he did not board a flight to Los Angeles from Vancouver.

While Vancouver police conduct an investigation, Andrew Koenig's Hollywood peers have begun spreading the news of his disappearance via social-networking sites. Alyssa Milano, Kevin Smith, Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Silverman have all sent out updates from their Twitter accounts about their missing friend.

Lance Miccio, a producer and director who worked numerous times with Koenig, told ABC News that Koenig recently turned down an opportunity to collaborate, saying he didn't want to work anymore.
"He's been my editor on about 15 projects," Miccio said. "I told him, 'Look, I have a new gig, are you interested in working?' And he said, 'No, I'm not.' Then I invited him out for drinks to talk and see where his head was at, because I knew he wasn't feeling great, and he declined on that."
Walter Koenig said "I think it's something that has been a part of his makeup for a long time," of his son's disappearance, which he doesn't think had anything to do with drug use. "There's no single trauma. There's no episode."

** I created this weekly tribute dedicated to the stars who for one reason or another did not receive the send off through the media that they deserved. Please join me every Tuesday as I continue to celebrate 'LIFE'. People will live on as long as we remember them. Thank you Andrew 'Boner' Koenig for your contribution to this world and through your artistry, you will live on forever. kk **