Former Brampton native Alan Thicke, 69, may have been Hollywood’s favourite Dad— Dr. Jason Seaver for his role in hit sitcom “Growing Pains” — but to his siblings Dr. Joanne Thicke and Todd Thicke, Alan will always be the thoughtful and caring big brother that introduced them to The Beatles and Bees Gees and other musical icons and taught them to box and wrestle.

Alan died Tuesday, Dec. 13 from a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son Carter in Burbank, California.

He was a child prodigy who could sing, write, play guitar and drums, compose music and act, said sister Dr. Joanne Thicke, who is a chiropractor, adding the family is devastated at his untimely passing.

“He always said, ‘I am not going to linger and I am going to just drop,’” Joanne told The Guardian. “He predicted his death. The happiest thing is he was probably doing the thing he had the most passion for. He was a good athlete, but hockey, to him, was it.”

“He was funny, fantastic family man. He valued the closeness of our family. He was one of my best friends and confidante,” Dr. Joanne Thicke, Alan's sister

Born in Kirkland Lake, Ont., in 1947, Alan headed to Western University at 16 to pursue pre-med, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father Dr. Brian Thicke, a physician from Brampton.

He didn’t have the “stomach” for medicine so he ended up with a BA. Shortly afterwards, the bright light of Hollywood beckoned. Whenever he could, he always came “home” to Brampton and was here recently, shared Joanne.

Even if Alan did not pursue a career in health care, he had a dominant humour gene in his DNA, courtesy of his father who has brought many a house down with his wry sense of humour.

“Dad once offered me sound financial advice,” Alan quipped a few years ago during a visit to Brampton. “He told me to open a joint account with someone that has money.”

“I was also encouraged by my dad to go to medical college,” he continued. “Joanne dutifully became a doctor, Todd skipped town to become a producer, I actually spent a couple of years in pre-med, but I was a fainter. I fainted when my wife was delivering our first son...and I’m sure my wife fainted during the conception.”

In September, the Thicke family, including Alan who had flown down from L.A., spent time enjoying the World Cup of Hockey in Toronto and hobnobbing with hockey heavyweights.