As the entertainment world continues to grieve the loss of iconic actress Suzanne Somers, the letter her husband gave to her the day before her death has been made public.
On Sunday, Somers' death was confirmed by her publicist, who said in a statement: "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th."
The statement further elaborated on the personal toll this loss has taken on her family, especially since they had gathered in anticipation of celebrating her 77th birthday on October 16. "Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly," the statement concluded.
Known for her sterling roles in Three’s Company and Step by Step, Somers left behind a legacy of memorable performances and an indomitable spirit saw her battle an aggressive form of breast cancer for over two decades.
In a poignant turn of events, just the night before her passing, Somers had read a heartfelt poem, penned for her by her loving husband of 46 years, Alan Hamel.
R. Couri Hay - Somers' longtime publicist - told PEOPLE: "Hamel, 87 — whom Somers had been married to since 1977 after dating for 10 years — gave [the letter] to her a day early and she read the poem and went to bed and later died peacefully in her sleep."
The now heart-breaking poem - written in all caps - can be seen below:
"LOVE I USE IT EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. I USE IT AT THE END OF EMAILS TO MY LOVING FAMILY. I EVEN USE IT IN EMAILS TO CLOSE FRIENDS. I USE IT WHEN I’M LEAVING THE HOUSE.
"THERE’S LOVE, THEN LOVE YOU AND I LOVE YOU!! THEREIN LIES SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE USE LOVE. SOMETIMES I FEEL OBLIGED TO USE LOVE, RESPONDING TO SOMEONE WHO SIGNED LOVE IN THEIR EMAIL, WHEN I’M UNCOMFORTABLE USING LOVE BUT I USE IT ANYWAY.
"I ALSO USE LOVE TO DESCRIBE A GREAT MEAL. I USE IT TO EXPRESS HOW I FEEL ABOUT A SHOW ON NETFLIX. I OFTEN USE LOVE REFERRING TO MY HOME, MY CAT GLORIA, TO THINGS GLORIA DOES, TO THE TASTE OF A CANTALOUPE I GREW IN MY GARDEN. I LOVE THE TASTE OF A FRESHLY HARVESTED ORGANIC ROYAL JUMBO MEDJOOL DATE. I LOVE BITING A FIG OFF THE TREE. I LOVE WATCHING TWO GIANT BLACKBIRDS WHO LIVE NEARBY SWOOPING BY MY WINDOW IN A POWER DIVE. MY DAILY LIFE ENCOMPASSES THINGS AND PEOPLE I LOVE AND THINGS AND PEOPLE I AM INDIFFERENT TO.
"I COULD GO ON AD INFINITUM, BUT YOU GET IT. WHAT BRAND OF LOVE DO I FEEL FOR MY WIFE SUZANNE? CAN I FIND IT IN ANY OF THE ABOVE? A RESOUNDING NO!!!! THERE IS NO VERSION OF THE WORD THAT IS APPLICABLE TO SUZANNE AND I EVEN USE THE WORD APPLICABLE ADVISEDLY.
"THE CLOSEST VERSION IN WORDS ISN’T EVEN CLOSE. IT’S NOT EVEN A FRACTION OF A FRACTION OF A FRACTION. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE DOES NOT DO IT. I’LL TAKE A BULLET FOR YOU DOESN’T DO IT. I WEEP WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY FEELINGS FOR YOU. FEELINGS… THAT’S GETTING CLOSE, BUT NOT ALL THE WAY.
"55 YEARS TOGETHER, 46 MARRIED AND NOT EVEN ONE HOUR APART FOR 42 OF THOSE YEARS,” he shared. “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.
"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.’"
Hamel and Somers' love story was one for the ages. They first got together a decade before they tied the knot in 1977. Over the years, their relationship became an emblem of enduring love and partnership in the often tumultuous world of Hollywood.
In honoring Somers' memory, Hay informed that the Somers family would be organizing a private burial later this week. Additionally, a memorial event to celebrate her illustrious life and indelible impact on the world of entertainment has been scheduled for November.
Our thoughts go out to Somers' family, friends, and fans at this time.