Comedian and actor Bernie Mac, whose untimely death on Aug. 9 has left fans, friends and colleagues bereft, is being remembered as a man with a generous sense of humor and great dedication to his family.

Bernie Mac was hospitalized little over a week ago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for pneumonia. Initial reports that his condition was very serious and that he was fighting for his life were minimized by his representative, Danica Smith, and the media quieted down for a while.

When an unnamed source told the Chicago Sun-Times that Bernie Mac was in “very, very critical” condition, Danica Smith denied such reports, insisting that he was simply receiving treatment for pneumonia and that he was expected to make a quick, full recovery.

Danica Smith also said the 50-year-old actor had not been hospitalized in connection with sarcoidosis, the autoimmune disease he had been suffering from for some two decades. Bernie Mac revealed in 2005 that he had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis as a young man and that the disease had now gone into remission.

The comedian’s sister-in-law told People magazine Saturday that Bernie Mac struggled to the very end to survive but that the sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease, made him more vulnerable to the pneumonia.

“It was in remission … but because he had it, his immune system was compromised,” Mary Ann Grossett, the late actor’s sister-in-law, revealed. “He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that’s where the pneumonia came from.”

Bernie Mac had been married to Rhonda McCullough since 1977. The couple’s daughter, Je’Niece, born in 1978, married in 2003 and made Mac a grandfather when she welcomed daughter Jasmine into the world.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on Oct. 5, 1957, Bernard Jeffrey McCullough began his career as a stand-up comedian in his hometown’s comedy clubs. His movie career took off in the mid-1990s and he would go on to enjoy great success.

He co-starred in the 2001 remake of “Ocean’s Eleven” and subsequent sequels “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s Thirteen,” alongside George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia, among others.

He portrayed Bosley in the “Charlie’s Angels” sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and appeared in “Bad Santa” and “Transformers.”

Mac also starred in “Guess Who?,” a remake of Sidney Poitier’s 1967 film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” The remake costarred Aston Kutcher and Zoe Saldana.

Bernie Mac also starred in his own television show, Fox sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show,” from 2001 to 2006.

Upon learning of his sad demise, Bernie Mac’s former costars expressed their grief and well wishes for the family.

“The world just got a little less funny. He will be missed dearly,” George Clooney said, while Brad Pitt evoked Bernie Mac as “a ferociously funny and hardcore family man,” sending his thoughts to Rhonda and the family.

Don Cheadle, who also starred in the “Ocean’s” trilogy, said Bernie Mac had “brought so much joy to so many.” Added Cheadle, “He will be missed but heaven just got funnier.”

Samuel L. Jackson, who stars opposite Mac in this fall’s “Soul Men,” said the actor was evidently “one of the preeminent comedians of our generation.” Jackson confessed he felt “honored” to have finally acted alongside the comedian.