Former host of MTV’s Remote Control passed away earlier this week at the age of 52. He led a television program that gave way to the careers of Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn. The gameshow featured trivia questions about T.V. re-runs and landed Ober as the host while he was touring as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s.

When speaking of Ken Ober, Adam Sandler said, “Ken Ober was one of the sharpest, quickest, sweetest guys I ever met. He was always a great friend and I will miss him very much.” MTV reports. In a statement to MTV News, Denis Leary said of Ober, “Kenny Ober was and always will be the quickest wit in the room. He was fall-down funny from the moment he was born — a smart, fast and hilarious human being who made many of us, including myself, laugh until we cried. As the star and host of ‘Remote Control,’ he was a welcoming ringmaster who helped to kickstart the careers of numerous talents, including Adam Sandler, Colin Quinn and myself. He will be remembered always by each of his friends not only for his massive talent but for his true, deep and enduring friendship.”

Ober had been found dead this past Sunday in his Santa Monica home. His agent, Lee Kernis of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, had represented Ober through the years and confirmed his death but told reporters the cause had been unknown. Kernis said that friends told him Ober felt ill with a headache among flu-like symptoms on Saturday and hadn’t met them later in the evening as planned. An autopsy is underway to determine his cause of death.

Ken’s first appearance on television was as a contestant on Star Search. Other gameshows Ober hosted were Make Me Laugh, Smush and Perfect Match. In the 90s, he also hosted a talk radio show in Los Angeles with former Brady bunch star Susan Olsen called Ober and Olsen. More recently, Ober helped write and produce television shows such as Mind of Mencia and Colin Quinn’s Tough Crowd.