Robert Wilson, father of Owen and Luke Wilson, has died

— -- Robert Wilson, the father of actors Owen and Luke Wilson, has died at age 75 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease, according to KERA, the Dallas TV station he ran in the 1960s and '70s.

A representative for Owen Wilson confirmed the report to ABC News.

Robert Wilson is credited with launching the TV career of PBS journalist Jim Lehrer and bringing "Monty Python's Flying Circus" to American TV for the first time, according to the KERA website. He was also famous for improving the station's technology, including transitioning the broadcast to color and switching from film to video tape.

Wilson was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a few years ago. In 2015, Owen Wilson spoke to the Dallas Morning News about his father's condition, and how it impacted him and his family.

“It’s one of those things where if somebody had said 10 years ago, when my dad and I were joking around, having a putting match, that this is the position your dad’s going to be in, where he basically needs 24-hour care, you’d think, ‘Gosh, I won’t be able to handle that. That’s just not possible,'" he said. “You just have to do your best to deal with it. You’ve got no choice but to accept it. And then, you sort of still look for the things to be grateful for. He is at home, taken care of, and he has people around that love him."

Robert Wilson is survived by his wife, photographer Laura Wilson, his three sons, Andrew, Owen, and Luke, and several grandchildren.

"For me and my brothers, there just wasn't a bigger influence on us," Owen Wilson told the Dallas Morning News. "Maybe it sounds trite or something, but I really believe that his spirit gets carried on through me, the way I like to joke around."