The Real McCoys posthumous reunion?

Question

Does anyone know anything that happened to Michael Winkelman(Little Luke) after he left the show and also the cause of his death in 1999?

Answer 1

Couldn't find out much. He died in 1999 at age 53. He's buried at Riverside National Cemetery. According to the IMDb, he only had a few minor TV roles after he left the show, such as appearances on "Make Room for Daddy" and "The Munsters". That 1965 appearance was his last listed credit, so it looks like he dropped out of showbiz (or, like most child actors, he realized that no one wanted to hire him). A surprising number of child actors end up on the skids, as alcoholics or drug abusers. I have no idea if this applies to Michael or not, but his early age at the time of his death might be an indication of such problems. (Or he might have just gotten hit by a bus...) He was outlived by Richard Crenna, his co-star on the show, who was 20 years older than he was.