Dennis Haskins died from Parkinson’s disease, death certificate shows

Dennis Haskins, the actor widely recognized for playing Principal Richard Belding across the Saved by the Bell franchise, died from Parkinson’s disease at age 75, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health listed Parkinson’s disease as the immediate cause of the actor’s September 27 death at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, TMZ reported. Dennis spent his final years in an assisted-living facility.

The death certificate also documented several other health conditions that Haskins battled in his final years, including irritable bowel syndrome, depression, hypertension, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. While outlets including TMZ and WTVC noted differing public understandings of his health status, his friend and caretaker Kimberly Snow shared on Instagram that the actor deliberately kept his medical battles private. Snow stated that Haskins chose not to disclose his diagnosis because he wanted to avoid public attention, explaining that he often asked, What do I even say? His ex-wife, Sarah Quinones, stated that he had even cut off communication with close confidants and stopped returning calls and texts from Quinones and other close friends to hide his diagnosis in recent years.

Principal Belding’s Television Legacy Across Seven Series

Haskins cemented his place in television history as Richard Belding, the administrator at Bayside High who uttered his iconic signature greeting. According to WTVC, he first brought the character to life in Good Morning, Miss Bliss on the Disney Channel in 1988 before the show transitioned into Saved by the Bell on NBC the following year. He remained a fixture of the franchise as the sole adult regular cast member following the move to NBC, earning the affectionate moniker America’s Favorite Principal from generations of viewers.

Beyond the flagship 1989–1993 NBC sitcom, Haskins reprised his signature role across multiple spin-offs and television projects. WTVC and TMZ report that his resume included Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, The Rerun Show, Robot Chicken, and Victorious. His television and film credits extended well beyond Bayside High, featuring appearances in The Dukes of Hazzard, The West Wing, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the feature film A Million Ways to Die in the West.

Chattanooga Roots and Decades of Fan Devotion

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on November 18, 1950, Haskins maintained a lifelong connection to his hometown and educational roots. WTVC reported that he attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was heavily involved in student life, theater, and campus broadcasting. During college, he reported for the student newspaper, performed with the Drama Club and Harlequins, served as Student Government Association entertainment chairman, belonged to Blue Key Honor Fraternity and the Raven’s Society, and worked as a founding member of the Harlequins community theater group where he acted, worked as a stage manager, and wrote original plays. As entertainment chairman, he helped bring Ike and Tina Turner to UTC in 1973. Through Blue Key, he helped organize the annual Freaks vs. Fuzz basketball game, which raised scholarship money for the children of UTC and Chattanooga police officers, and he also helped get Mocs basketball games televised right there on NewsChannel 9. Decades after his initial studies, Haskins fulfilled a personal milestone by completing his bachelor’s degree at UTC in December 2015, later donating his collection of working scripts from the sitcom to the university library.

Off-screen, colleagues and friends remembered Haskins for his deep devotion to his supporters and charitable causes. His agent, Jay Schachter, told TMZ that the actor absolutely LOVED his fans and always made time for them, adding that Haskins had been his client and dear friend for over 20 years. Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly also mourned the actor on Instagram, noting that Haskins had been a dedicated supporter of his foundations and a special part of the Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic for 18 years. Locally in Burbank, Snow noted via Instagram that Haskins was a beloved regular fixture at Dimples Karaoke, where patrons frequently mistook him for the owner because of his enthusiasm for singing, meeting people, and taking photographs with fans.