Paying tribute. John Stamos shared the full eulogy speech he gave at his longtime friend and former Full House costar Bob Saget’s funeral.
“My Bob. I’m not ready to accept that he’s gone. I’m not going to say ‘goodbye’ yet,” Stamos, 58, began his touching tribute, which was published by the Los Angeles Times on Friday, January 21, one week after Saget’s funeral was held.
Multiple celebrities close to the late comedian attended the ceremony on January 14, including his former costars Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Jodie Sweetin and Lori Loughlin, in addition to Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, whom he married in 2018. Saget was previously married to ex-wife Sherri Kramer from 1982 to 1997 and the two shared daughters Aubrey, Lara and Jennifer Saget.
Known as “America’s dad,” the comedian was found dead at the age of 65 in his Orlando, Florida hotel room on January 9. An official cause of death has not been released. He had performed a stand-up show one night prior to his unexpected death, which Stamos mentioned in his eulogy.
“I imagine him out there, still on the road, doing what he loves with all his heart and humor,” the Fuller House alum said in his speech. “He’s standing on stage, killing! Another two-hour set in front of a couple hundred of the luckiest people on the planet. They’re laughing so hard they weep. And just when they catch their breath, he grabs his guitar and slays them with one of his musical closers. There’s an encore, and another and another. Everyone here wants an encore with Bob.”
Stamos then unraveled how his dear friend likely spent the night before he died.
“He calls his one true love, Kelly, and tells her about his show,” the former General Hospital star said. “He says he feels 26 again, alive, then asks her to fix up a picture he wants to post, and she says it doesn’t need fixing and tells him how handsome he is. He says he loves her with every bit of his heart. And when he gets to the hotel to put his head on the pillow, he misses his daughters, his family and his friends.”
The Grandfathered actor then recalled a few memories with Saget, adding how the former How I Met Your Mother narrator wouldn’t have expected this much attention for his death.
“There’s no way he thought his death would have this kind of impact,” Stamos added. “This is the kind of coverage that speaks to someone who genuinely connected with people, and not just for a moment, but for generations.”
Stamos also sprinkled some comedy in his speech as a tribute to what Saget did for Stamos’ father’s funeral. “When I lost my parents, Bob was there for me like no other,” the musician revealed. “He told dirty jokes and talked about himself as he hosted my dad’s funeral … He loved hard and deep. (Cue Bob to make a joke out of ‘hard and deep).’”
Eventually, the former Broadway actor admitted Saget’s death “broke” him upon hearing the news, but said he realized he doesn’t need to “let him go.”
“He’s in the lessons I teach my son and the hilarious dirty stories that my wife and I will laugh at for the rest of our lives,” Stamos said. “I don’t have to say ‘goodbye’ because he’s never leaving my heart. And I will continue to talk to him every day and let him know what he means to me.”