Patrick Stewart (Actor), 'Star Trek' captain and stage star, dies at 86

Sir Patrick Stewart was an English stage and screen actor best known for playing Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek:  The Next Generation."  He died Oct. 28 at his home in Los Angeles at age 86, with his wife, Sunny Ozell, caring for him, his representatives said in a statement.  The statement said family and friends had gathered around him with music and prayer, and that he died after a brief illness with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

Born July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, England, Stewart trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and spent years with the Royal Shakespeare Company.  He later played Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films.  He won three Laurence Olivier Awards for his stage work and a Grammy for a children's spoken-word album.  Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 2010 for services to drama.

Stewart is survived by his wife, singer Sunny Ozell (47), and two adult children from his first marriage, Daniel Stewart and Sophie Stewart.