American actress, writer, singer, and businesswoman Suzanne Somers has passed away at the age of 76.
According to the woman’s publicist, Somers died of cancer after a lengthy health battle. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including her husband of 46 years Alan Hamel, at the time of her passing.
The tragic news comes just a day before the actress’s 77th birthday and just hours after her doting husband presented her with an early birthday present – a romantic poem written by hand.
Somers was one of the most renowned stars in the ’70s and ’80s sitcom scene and was best known for playing a single mom Carol Foster Lambert in ABC’s Step By Step and for portraying Chrissy Snow in Three’s Company.
Besides her role in 100 episodes of Three’s Company and 160 episodes of Step by Step, Somers also secured a number of other roles and went on to appear in 44 episodes of She’s the Sheriff and movies like No Laughing Matter and The Darklings.
“I weep when I think about my feelings for you. Feelings… That’s getting close, but not all the way,” Hamel wrote in a heartbreaking tribute to his wife.
“55 years together, 46 married and not even one hour apart for 42 of those years. Even that doesn’t do it. Even going to bed at 6 o’clock and holding hands while we sleep doesn’t do it. Staring at your beautiful face while you sleep doesn’t do it.”
The touching message continued: “I’m back to feelings. There are no words. There are no actions. No promises.
No declarations. Even the green shaded scholars of the Oxford University Press have spent 150 years and still have failed to come up with that one word. So I will call it, ‘Us,’ uniquely, magically, indescribably wonderful ‘Us.’”
Our thoughts remain with Suzanne’s loved ones during this challenging time.