Born Feb. 8, 1968, Coleman was the adopted son of W.G. (Willie) Coleman, a pharmaceutical supply inspector, and Edmonia Sue Coleman. Gary had been born with one atrophied kidney and that the other would soon fail.

He had surgery three times before he turned 5, the last a kidney transplant. He underwent another transplant by age 14, his growth permanently stunted by the side effects of dialysis medications. 

Even those trademark chubby cheeks were thought perhaps to have been a side effect to the steroids taken to ward off transplant rejection. 

Gary’s career launched in commercials for several Chicago-based companies and included spots for Montgomery Ward’s, McDonald’s, Hallmark cards, Bisquick, Betty Crocker, and Cracker Jack, but the ads that catapulted him to local icon status were for Harris Bank, as he instructed viewers, "You should have a Hubert doll" in reference to the bank's stuffed lion mascot.

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT.

Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after “Diff’rent Strokes” debuted in 1978. He played younger brother Arnold Jackson a pair of African-American siblings adopted by a wealthy white man.

His popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.

Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth and had a host of legal problems in recent years.