Daniel Fleetwood, a “Star Wars” superfan with a rare form of cancer who was granted an early viewing of “The Force Awakens,” has died, his wife said early Thursday.
“Daniel put up an amazing fight to the very end. He is now one with God and with the force,” Ashley Fleetwood wrote on her Facebook page, accompanied by a photo of the couple.
“He passed in his sleep and in peace. He will always be my idol and my hero,” she wrote. “Rest in peace my love. This was the last selfie we ever took together. #forcefordaniel.”
Disney and Lucasfilm granted the Houston resident a private screening last week after a campaign to get him to see the film ahead of its Dec. 18 release, BBC reported.
Mark Hamill, the original Luke Skywalker and John Boyega, who will play Finn in the new movie, pushed for the screening after learning that Mr. Fleetwood, suffering from a rare form of cancer called spindle cell sarcoma, only had weeks to live.
Before he died, Mr. Fleetwood told a local NBC News affiliate: “Judging by how progressive the disease has gotten in the past two months I really don’t think that I’ll be able to make it.
“I just love Star Wars. … With everything I got, I love Star Wars,” he said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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