Los Angeles, Oct 29 (IANS): Academy Award-winning sound mixer Robert Alan 'Bob' Minkler of "Star Wars" fame, died earlier this month. He was 78.

Minkler died of respiratory failure at his home in Oregon, while his wife, Patty was by his side on October 11, reports variety.com.

Minkler won his Oscar in 1978 for best sound on the first film in the “Star Wars” franchise.

His career spanned two decades, during which he worked on films like “Easy Rider”, “The Black Stallion”, “Bull Durham”, “Mask”, “Urban Cowboy", “Rocky II", and “Tron”, for which he was Oscar-nominated along with his brother Lee Minkler and his nephew, the three-time Oscar winner Michael Minkler.

Born in 1937, to audio pioneer Lee Darrell Minkler and Lorraine Jones Minkler, Bob spent many years as a musician and vocalist, touring with Nat King Cole for a time. He found his way back to the film business and began his career working alongside his brothers Donald Minkler and Lee Minkler.

He moved to Hawaii to raise his three sons Marcus, Daniel and Christian. His other survivors are his grandchildren Michael, Mia, Jacob, Matthew, Kyle and Brooke.