PETERSTEELE.ORG / SPECIAL FEATURE
Peter Steele's
Death
How, when, and why Peter Steele died at age 48 on April 14, 2010 — cause of death, funeral, burial, and the legacy he left behind.
How Peter Steele Died: The Full Timeline
Peter Steele, born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962, died on April 14, 2010, at age 48 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, from sepsis caused by untreated diverticulitis, initially misreported as heart failure or aortic aneurysm. An autopsy confirmed an aortic aneurysm, but in 2018, the Estate of Peter T. Ratajczyk clarified the true cause as diverticulitis leading to sepsis, noting Steele mistook symptoms for the flu and delayed hospital care to stay with his cat undergoing tumor treatment.
Peter Steele's death capped a career marked by personal struggles amid Type O Negative's gothic metal success (formed 1990, post-Fallout and Carnivore). Key events:
Steele was prepping new music, delaying the band's first album since Dead Again.
The Timeline of a Giant
Visual Echoes
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