When the ambulance arrived, they performed CPR, but it wasn’t successful. And then the dispatcher had to cancel the rescue, and declared that he died. His family announced the sudden passing saying, “It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you ‘POPS’ always & forever.”