Death of Billy Mays

Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida home on the morning of June 28, 2009.[22] He was pronounced dead at 7:45 am, appearing to have died sometime overnight.[3][23] The Associated Press reported that there were no indications that the house had been broken into, and that police did not suspect foul play.[23] Initially, there was incorrect speculation that he had died of a head injury, after he was struck on the head by luggage after an airline landing mishap where tires blew out.[24]

After an initial autopsy on Mays' body on June 29, 2009, Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County, Florida medical examiner, stated that Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease and that heart disease was the likely cause of his death. According to a toxicology report released August 7, 2009, heart disease was the "primary cause of death" and cocaine was listed as a "contributory cause of death."[25][26] In response to the release of the toxicology report, the Mays family issued a press release stating, "We are extremely disappointed by the press release released by the Hillsborough County medical examiner's office. We believe it contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension" and said in the release that they were considering "an independent evaluation of the autopsy results".[27]

The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release. The office said Mays last used cocaine in the few days before his death but was not under the influence of the drug when he died. Hillsborough County spokeswoman Lori Hudson said nothing in the toxicology report indicated the frequency of Mays' cocaine use. Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause hypertrophy of the left ventricle, and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said. However, in October 2009, the results of a second medical examination, commissioned by Mays' family, concluded that "cocaine was not a significant contributing factor" to his death.[28]

According to subsequent news reports,[29] the toxicology tests also showed levels of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone, and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays suffered from hip problems and was scheduled for hip replacement surgery the day after he was found dead.

Mays' funeral was held on July 3, 2009 in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. The pallbearers wore blue shirts and khaki pants at the funeral, much like Mays wore when he advertised his products.[30] He is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery.[31]

In the immediate aftermath of his death, many companies pulled ads featuring Mays from the air.[32] By mid-July, with his family's consent, some ads were put back into rotation,[33] alongside newer ones that Mays had filmed prior to his death.