Patrice O'Neal | Stand-up comedian, 41

Patrice O'Neal, 41, a veteran stand-up comic who gained a wider following through TV and radio and helped roast Charlie Sheen, died Tuesday at a New York-area hospital from complications of a stroke he suffered last month.

Mr. O'Neal's manager, Jonathan Brandstein, said in a statement: "Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius."

Mr. O'Neal appeared on Conan O'Brien's and David Letterman's TV shows and was a frequent guest on the Opie & Anthony radio show on Sirius XM. His performance was a highlight of the Comedy Central roast of Sheen, who had been fired from the hit CBS comedy Two and a Half Men, in September.

Sheen said in a tweet Tuesday: "Patrice had that rare 'light' around him and inside of him. I only knew him for the few days leading up to the Roast. Yet I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent."

Other entertainers also mourned Mr. O'Neal on Twitter.

"RIP Patrice O'Neal. You made us laugh til we cried," comedian Sarah Silverman said.

Mr. O'Neal had half-hour specials on Showtime and HBO and was the host of Web Junk 20 on VH1. He appeared in numerous television shows including Arrested Development, Chappelle's Show, and The Office. - AP