He portrayed the iconic English gentleman - and invented the British spy years before Sean Connery came along. Bowler hat and umbrella, unshakable cool and savoir-faire, Patrick Macnee played the part of John Steed in The Avengers, and later in The New Avengers, and showed America that action heroes could be cool without guns and brawn.
Along with Doctor Who and Thunderbirds, The Avengers was one of the shows that symbolized British TV for North Americans.
He was irreplaceable - no one has even come close to his English cool.
He will be missed.