Katherine Short, daughter of Canadian comedian Martin Short, dead at 42

Actor Martin Short and daughter Katherine Elizabeth Short arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, February 27, 2011. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)

Katherine Short, daughter of Canadian comedian and actor Martin Short, has died, a family representative confirmed to CTV News. 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,” the representative said in a statement. “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”

Martin Short shared a statement on social media regarding his daughter’s passing.

“There are no words for the depth of this loss,” Martin Short wrote. “Our family is devastated, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this unimaginable heartbreak. Katherine was the light of our lives full of warmth, kindness, and a joy that touched everyone she met.

“That light will never fade in our hearts. Forever loved. Forever our daughter,” he added.

Martin Short and his wife Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 at the age of 58 while suffering from ovarian cancer, adopted all three of their children: Katherine, Oliver and Henry.

Upon the 2014 release of his memoir, “I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend,” Martin Short called the death of his wife “the most awful thing I’ve been through,” but said he found strength through their children.

“Whatever we think it’s going to be, the sun will come up and you have to eat lunch,” he said. “It’s just life. We are all going to perish. I think we all naturally, understandably, live in denial of that.”

With files from The Canadian Press