Joe E. Tata, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’s Peach Pit Owner Nat, Dead at 85

Joe E. Tata, an actor known for starring on the ’90s teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.

Tata’s death was confirmed by his daughter and reported by CNN. Kelly Tata shared the news of her father’s passing in a GoFundMe page she had created to help cover costs of his Alzheimer’s Disease. In an update posted to the fundraising account Thursday (August 24), Kelly shared that Joe “passed away peacefully” on Wednesday (Aug. 24).

“My father and I are forever grateful for the love and support of family, friends, and fans. I’m also especially grateful to Joanna Konjevod for caring for my father in his final years and allowing me to be there to hold his hand in his final moments,” she wrote.

Kelly continued, “The remaining funds raised from this campaign will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association,” adding, “Please continue to keep us in your prayers as I grieve the loss of my best friend.”

Joe’s health first began to decline in 2014, after he starred in his final role on the ABC Family sitcom Mystery Girls, Kelly shared on her GoFundMe page. He was late diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018.

In her first post on GoFundMe, Kelly introduced her dad for his most famous role, Beverly Hills, 90210‘s Nat Busschio, owner of the Peach Pit. She noted that “Nat was a loving father figure to the kids of West Beverly High,” before adding, “In real life, my Dad, Joey, is honest, kind, and a truly incredible father.”

While Joe was best known for his memorable role on the hit drama, his acting career began long before Beverly Hills, 90210. Joe’s very first role was in 1960, when he appeared in the TV series Peter Gunn as Arthur Curtis.

Over the years, he went on to appear in shows like Ben Casey, the Batman TV series, The Rockford Files, Days of Our Lives and Magnum, P.I. After his 10-season arc on Beverly Hills, 90210 came to a close, he appeared in Charmed and The CW 90210 reboot.