(CNN) Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought beloved "Sesame Street" characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life, died on Sunday, according to Sesame Workshop.

Spinney passed away at his Connecticut home after battling dystonia, a common movement disorder. He was 85.

Puppeteer Caroll Spinney and Oscar the Grouch during the filming of a 1970 episode.

"Caroll Spinney's contributions to Sesame Street are countless. He not only gave us Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, he gave so much of himself as well," Sesame Street co-founder Joan Ganz Cooney said in the press release.

"We at Sesame Workshop mourn his passing and feel an immense gratitude for all he has given to Sesame Street and to children around the world."

The legendary puppeteer was known for his "kind and loving view of the world," giving two of the show's most iconic characters the joyous (and grouchy) personalities that viewers around the world adored.

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