Martin Short’s daughter Katherine Hartley Short’s neighbors are “sad” over the death of the “great” resident.
A next door neighbor exclusively tells Us Weekly that Katherine was a “great neighbor and gardener,” ahead of her death at age 42, which her family confirmed on Tuesday, February 24.
“It’s incredibly sad,” the resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, says of Katherine’s sudden passing.
Katherine’s passion for her home and its presentation was evident by the decorations she had up around her residence for Valentine’s Day, which an eyewitness tells Us included a wreath with pink ribbons and flowers surrounding a giant red heart on her front door.
Martin Short and daughter Katherine. James Devaney/WireImage
Katherine’s beautiful orange tree is visible from the street, which appears to have been tended to a ton, per the passerby.
“She was very nice but this is a quiet neighborhood and to be fair, we don’t see too many neighbors usually out,” a neighbor from two doors down says of Katherine, noting she did not throw parties, wasn’t loud and pretty much kept to herself.
The second neighbor adds that he didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary on the day of Katherine’s death, he did see an ambulance and police cars on their street hours before news of her passing broke.
Martin Short’s daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, has died. She was 42. “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time,” Martin’s rep confirmed in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, February 24. “Katherine was beloved […]
He explains that while he’s lived near Katherine for two years, they only interacted a few times, the last being months ago when Katherine was sitting on her balcony.
A third neighbor tells Us they didn’t see much of Katherine but can also recall her sitting on her porch from time to time.
The resident notes that Katherine seemed friendly, and would sometimes wave and say, “Hi,” but otherwise they had very little interaction.
Even with all of the awards he has received working in Hollywood, Martin Short would likely say father is his greatest title. Short and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, welcomed three children via adoption before her death in August 2010 from ovarian cancer. While the actor has tried to keep his personal life away from […]
Katherine’s death was confirmed on Tuesday with her father’s rep telling Us in a statement, “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time.”
Martin’s rep added: “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
While no further details were given, TMZ reported on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Police Department responded to Katherine’s Hollywood Hills home one day prior. (Us previously reached out to the LAPD for comment.)
Katherine was the only daughter of Martin, 75, and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who died in August 2010 following a battle with ovarian cancer. Martin and Dolman also shared sons Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36. (Martin and Dolman adopted all three of their children.)
Following his wife’s death, Martin has opened up about dealing with grief and raising their kids on his own.
“I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them,” the Only Murders in the Building actor told AARP in 2019. “This idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them — that’s wrong. That’s based on denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, she’s still here.”
Martin added that Dolman’s death “emboldened” him to “take risks” and has shaped the rest of his life.
“With real tragedy, you become a little more daring. It’s the yin to the yang: the positive part of life’s dark side,” he concluded.