Nicole Brown Simpson’s father, Louis Brown Jr., passed away on Thursday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Louis Brown Jr. was a familiar presence at the 1995 trial of OJ Simpson, who was charged with murdering his ex-wife and her longtime friend.

After Nicole’s death, Louis Brown started the Nicole Brown Simpson Charitable Foundation to help victims of domestic violence.

Brown was being cared for by his daughters and wife and passed away at his home in California.

His daughter Denise confirmed that her father had indeed passed.

“My dad had had Alzheimer’s for a while,” said Denise. “When his condition took a turn for the worse last Wednesday, my mom called me and said to come home. I flew home from Italy as soon as she called. I got there at 6 p.m., and he passed away not even 12 hours later. My mom said he knew I was there. She said, ‘He waited for you to come home.’ He was at peace.”

Brown’s youngest daughter Tanya remembered her father fondly after his death saying,

“I’m so blessed to have been able to take care of him at home. I think he hung on for so long because he knew there was so much love in the house. I am the youngest and was always daddy’s little girl. He was always my daddy first and became my friend later in life. He was always there for me. I could always lean on him. We all could. He was such an honorable man.”

The family is still planning Brown’s funeral arrangements, but Denise said that her father had requested a military funeral.

“He told us he wanted a military burial,” she said. “He was very proud to have served in the military. He never wanted any fanfare about it, though. He always said it was his duty and an honor for him to serve his country.”

Image via News Inc