Dave Flebotte, the Emmy-nominated writer and producer who worked on Tulsa King, Desperate Housewives, Boardwalk Empire and The PJs, has died after a long battle with cystic fibrosis. He was 65.
Flebotte died Tuesday in a hospital in Missoula, Montana, his wife, Sandra Lindqvist, told The Hollywood Reporter. “Writing to him was everything,” she said.
Flebotte was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a youngster and was told he wouldn’t live past age 12, his wife said. He had a double lung transplant 28 years ago.
The son of a bookie, Flebotte was born in Hanson, Massachusetts. A teacher at Emerson College persuaded him to pursue a career in writing, and he began in Hollywood in the 1990s, working on TV comedies including Good Advice, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, Ellen and Suddenly Susan.
From 1999-2000, he wrote a handful of episodes and produced the Eddie Murphy co-created Fox animated show The PJs, which earned him an Emmy nom.
He also wrote and produced episodes of the ABC hit Desperate Housewives from 2008-12 and penned three episodes of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire from 2011-13.
In 2009, Flebotte created the sitcom Sherri, starring Sherri Shepherd, which ran for a season. The Lifetime/ABC Studios show followed Shepherd’s character, a newly single mother, as she navigates the world after divorcing her cheating husband.
His final project was Tulsa King, which saw him write four episodes and produce. The Paramount+ crime drama follows Sylvester Stallone’s New York Mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi, who is released from prison and exiled to Oklahoma, where he sets up a criminal organization.
Flebotte’s other writing and producing credits included The Geena Davis Show, George Lopez, Will & Grace, The Bernie Mac Show, 8 Simple Rules, Dirt, Raising Hope, Masters of Sex, State of Mind, Chance and I’m Dying Up Here.
He and his wife of 13 years moved to Montana a year and a half ago. Survivors include his children, Zach and Emma.
Cindy Caponera, who worked with Flebotte on I’m Dying Up Here and Sherri, took to Instagram to share a tribute.
“Never in all of my television writing days did I meet a man so funny and kind, openhearted, smaht — he was from Boston after all — and so talented. He was an incredibly loyal friend,” she wrote. “I also never met a writer who loved writing as much as he did. And he was so incredibly good at it. And throughout his entire illness, he never stopped creating and working — never complaining — just such a great example of how to live and love. Everyone should have at least one Dave Flebotte in their life. I’ll miss you, pal.”
