On January 9, beloved comedian Bob Saget died alone in his hotel room.
The entire world has mourned his passing, but none more acutely than his closest friends and family.
His widow, Kelly Rizzo, made a tribute to him for his birthday, May 17.
Milestone moments like these can take you by surprise after a loved one dies. Kelly is turning that into something beautiful.
“Happy birthday my Love,” Kelly Rizzo began her Instagram tribute post caption, alongside multiple throwback photos.
“These pictures and videos were taken exactly 1 year ago in Mexico,” she detailed.
“We always celebrated our birthdays together with a trip,” Kelly explained. “(His is the 17th and mine is 19th).”
“This last trip was so special,” Kelly wrote. “We both celebrated each other so big.”
She continued: “You never know when something is going to be ‘the last’ time.”
“But,” Kelly expressed, “I’m so grateful that he was showered with all of the love he deserves.”
“I pray he can see all of the love he’s already getting from around the world today,” Kelly wrote.
“Honey, everyone loves you so damn much,” she addressed to her late husband.
“Everyone wants you to know how important and special you are on your special day,” Kelly affirmed, “and we ALL celebrate you.”
“You are one of a kind and you certainly made my world go ‘round,” Kelly gushed.
“I love you more than anything and miss you every minute,” she lamented.
“Your girls and I will hold on tight to each other today,” Kelly assured.
“And I know you’d want me to get a martini tonight, so I’ll oblige,” Kelly concluded. “Happy birthday, honey.”
These kinds of anniversary events are hard, especially the first few after someone passes.
People find that they have to reframe their habits, their ways of thinking, and their entire lives after losing a loved one.
Bob Saget was alone in his hotel room when he passed away.
Security video and data from his door both confirm that no one else entered the room.
And given that he drove to the hotel, it is clear that he did not sustain the injury elsewhere — he would have been unable to drive, or likely even to think.
Given the extent of the injury to his head, experts have concluded that he sustained the fatal wound in his hotel room, likely with a slip and a fall.
Between his height and the marble floor, it is entirely possible that the physics of a slip — you speed up more than with a normal fall — accounted for the damage to his skull.
It is believed that he sustained the injury, likely in the bathroom, and then made his way to bed in a semi-conscious state, where he passed away.
Few people have charmed and become beloved by so many generations like Saget.
Beloved by fans, coworkers, friends, and family, he enjoyed an extraordinary life and left behind a rare legacy.
Our hearts go out to Kelly — as do our birthday wishes, bittersweet though this one will certainly be.
