I was surpised by this one today. When I heard he had cancer, I took it to mean he'd just been diagnosed. But he'd been battling the disease for a decade.
I very much enjoyed his work, and he was a one of a kind. He was the highlight of Law & Order, and as much as I hated seeing him leave the show I was anxious to see him in the L&O spinoff "Trial & Jury."
At a minimum, he was robust til the very end and died having spent a lifetime doing what he loved.