John Henson, the son of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson, has died in New York aged 48.

Cheryl Henson says her brother died of a “massive heart attack” at his home in Saugerties on Friday. She says it happened after he had been building an igloo in the snow with his daughter.

Henson followed in his famous father’s footsteps as a puppeteer, performing as Sweetums the ogre in several films, including Muppet Treasure Island and It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.

He was also a shareholder and board member of the Jim Henson Company.

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are perhaps the two most famous Muppets. Credit: Getty Images

[polldaddy poll=7803234]Henson leaves behind his wife Gyongyi and two daughters, ages 10 and 15. A private funeral service is planned.

Jim Henson himself did not live into old age, dying aged 53 in May 1990.

Created in the 1950s, Muppets’ characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Sam the Eagle (among many others) became household names for children worldwide.