<P> On May 12, Henson traveled to Ahoskie, North Carolina with his daughter Cheryl to visit his father and stepmother . They returned to New York on May 13, and he canceled a Muppet recording session scheduled for the next day . His estranged wife Jane came to visit that night . Henson suffered a medical emergency several hours later on May 15; he was having trouble breathing and began coughing up blood . He suggested to his wife that he might be dying, but he did not want to take time from his schedule to visit a hospital . Two hours later, he agreed to be taken by taxi to New York Hospital in New York City, arriving there at 4: 58 a.m. He stopped breathing, and an X-ray revealed that he had abscesses in his lungs . He was placed on a ventilator, but his condition deteriorated rapidly despite aggressive treatment with multiple antibiotics . </P> <P> Henson died at 1: 21 a.m. on May 16 at New York Hospital following 20 hours in intensive care . He was 53 years old . News of his death spread quickly and fans from around the world responded with tributes and condolences . Many of Henson's co-stars and directors from Sesame Street, the Muppets, and other works also shared their thoughts on his death . Doctor David Gelmont first announced that Henson had died from Streptococcus pneumoniae, an infection that causes bacterial pneumonia . However, he confirmed on May 29 that Henson's cause of death was organ dysfunction resulting from streptococcal toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes . </P> <P> On May 21, Henson's public memorial service was conducted in New York City at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine . Another was conducted on December 2 at St Paul's Cathedral in London . In accordance with Henson's letters, no one in attendance wore black, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band finished the service by performing "When the Saints Go Marching In". Harry Belafonte sang "Turn the World Around," a song that he had debuted on The Muppet Show, as each member of the congregation waved a brightly colored foam butterfly attached to a puppet performer's rod . Later, Caroll Spinney walked onto the stage dressed as Big Bird and sang Kermit the Frog's signature song "Bein' Green". Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Richard Hunt sang a medley of Jim Henson's favorite songs in their characters' voices, ending with a performance of "Just One Person". The funeral was described by Life as "an epic and almost unbearably moving event ." </P> <P> The Jim Henson Company and the Jim Henson Foundation continued after his death, producing new series and specials . Jim Henson's Creature Shop, founded by Henson, also continues to build creatures for a large number of other films and series (e.g. the science - fiction production Farscape, the film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the movie MirrorMask) and is considered one of the most advanced and well respected creators of film creatures . As of 2017, his eldest son Brian and eldest daughter Lisa are the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the company; his daughter Cheryl is the president of the foundation . Steve Whitmire, a veteran member of the Muppet puppeteering crew, assumed the roles of Kermit the Frog and Ernie, the most famous characters formerly played by Jim Henson . Whitmire also assumed the roles of Link Hogthrob, starting with the video game Muppet RaceMania, as well as The Muppet Newsman, starting in 2008, with Muppet.com viral online videos . However in 2017 Whitmire was fired from the Muppets Studio and as a result, Matt Vogel has taken over the role of Kermit . Muppeteer veteran Bill Barretta has taken over for Henson's fairly deeper voiced roles, such as the Swedish Chef, Mahna Mahna, Rowlf the Dog, and Dr. Teeth . Guy Smiley, in recent years, has been taken over by Eric Jacobson, and the role of Waldorf, in 1992, was assumed by Muppet performer veteran Dave Goelz . As of 2017, Ernie is now performed by puppeteer Peter Linz . </P>

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