Marlboro Man Darrell Winfield Dead: Cause of Death of Man Known for Cigarette Commercials, Ads Unknown

The dangers of smoking led to advertising restrictions and the end of the "Marlboro man" in 1998 but apparently did not affect the longevity of one of the cigarette brand's iconic cowboys. Darrell Winfield, whom the Leo Burnett advertising agency had recruited to promote the smokes, died on Monday at age 85 in Wyoming, USA Today reports.

Born on July 30, 1929, in Little Kansas, Oklahoma, Winfield and his family moved to the Cowboy State in the 1960s. Burnett discovered him when he worked on Quarter Circle 5 Ranch in western Wyoming.

Winfield is survived by his wife, son, five daughters and several grandchildren, Fox News said.

"[Winfield] loved horses, rodeo, especially team roping, ranching, and the cowboy way of life," his obituary reads.

At least four other former Marlboro men who died in the past few years had had bouts with lung cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times. Winfield's cause of death, meanwhile, was not specified, CNN said.

According to CNN, the idea of the "Marlboro Man appealed to American men because of his masculinity, individuality and freedom. Unlike many actors hired to play the role between the 1950s and the late 1990s, however, Winfield was "the real thing."

For two decades, his dashing appearance made Winfield in Marlboro cigarettes representative in print and television advertisement. The campaign aimed to make the brand, which had originally been marketed to women, more appealing to men.

A spokesman for Altria Client Services, which represents leading cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, limited his comments to sympathy toward the Winfield's.

"Our condolences go out to his family, but we do not have any statements to offer on his passing," Jeff Caldwell said.

The Marlboro Man campaign eventually fell victim to the so-called Master Settlement Agreement, a 1998 accord between 46 U.S. states and the country's five largest tobacco companies that limits the advertising, marketing and promotion of tobacco products. The agreement forbids the use of humans or cartoons in cigarette commercials.