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Former Canadian diplomat Ken Taylor, fondly remembered as a hero for his role in sheltering six U.S. citizens during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis in Tehran, a real-life drama known as the Canadian Caper, has died. He was 81.

Taylor, who was diagnosed in August with colon cancer, died Thursday at about 2:45 p.m. at New York Presbyterian Hospital, family friend Ralph Lean told The Canadian Press.

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“We lost a true hero,” Lean said.

“Those of us who know him lost a friend, but Canadians lost a true hero who just lived life to the fullest and I got lucky enough to be allowed to tag along with Taylor.”

Taylor’s wife, Pat, was by his side, said Lean. Taylor is also survived by his son, Douglas, and his wife Dana and two grandchildren.

“I was sitting here crying, if you can believe it,” Lean said. “I’m an old guy who doesn’t cry, and I was crying.”

Born in 1934 in Calgary, Taylor was heralded as a hero for helping save the Americans — a clandestine operation that had the full support of Joe Clark’s short-lived Progressive Conservative government.

His son Douglas said while Taylor didn’t initially didn’t want his friends and family making a fuss about his health, eventually he warmed to the idea of having them visit him in hospital near the end.

“At the end, he came to an acceptance of the time frame that was left, and really for him what was most important for him were obviously his family and his friends,” Douglas Taylor said.

“So a lot of them came down over the past week or so, and he had an anecdote about each and every one of them and it was really quite amazing — he had a great clarity of mind and sense of humour. Right up until the end, until yesterday.”

Tributes poured in as news of Taylor’s passing spread.

U.S. ambassador Bruce Heyman hailed his “valour and ingenuity” in harbouring the six Americans, an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

“Ambassador Taylor’s courageous actions exemplify the enduring nature of the special relationship between the United States and Canada.”