Here's an excellent, detailed story from the Newark Star-Ledger, a good New Jersey newspaper that covers Plainfield and other areas of North and Central Jersey. It explains how a couple he befriended in '87 (she a NY Times critic and concert pianist)
encouraged him to move in with their family in their Plainfield home when he began showing symptoms of his illness in '97, and how he coped with his final few years (and a good career bio, too):

http://www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1017333600159790.xml

Milton Berle (Uncle Miltie) is also a sad loss...a real TV pioneer. But since his career peaked before I was old enough to appreciate it, I'm much more moved by the loss of Dudley.