Honoring him in their own way. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen honored their former TV father Bob Saget at a “punk rock shiva” held by several of the late comedian’s friends and loved ones.
“After Bob’s fancy funeral we threw him a small impromptu punk rock shiva upstairs at the @thecomedystore,” comedian Jeff Ross wrote via Instagram on Sunday, January 30, sharing photos from the event, which was attended by John Mayer, Marc Maron and more. The gathering was a non-traditional way of honoring Saget — who was Jewish — through the custom of “sitting shiva,” which is generally a week-long period where the deceased’s loved ones remember them and comfort one another.
In one black-and-white snap, Saget’s former Full House costars John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin posed together, while another pic showed the Olsens, both 35, dancing alongside Saget’s daughters Aubrey, 35, and Lara, 32.
“We laughed and cried for four hours,” Ross, 56, wrote alongside the uploads, adding that he was planning to host another event on Monday, January 31, “for his friends and family.” The comedian then asked that fans donate to the Scleroderma Research Foundation, a favorite charity of Saget’s, in his honor.
“If Bob ever made you smile and you have it in your heart or wallet please donate,” Ross concluded. “It’s a terrible disease that mostly affects women. Finding a cure is a mission that meant a lot to Bob personally.”
Saget died in Orlando, Florida on January 9 at the age of 65. He was laid to rest less than one week later during an emotional funeral attended by his family, friends and several Full House costars. “There were lots of tears, of course, but so much laughter too. It was a perfect goodbye to Bob,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly of the service. “Now, there is a celebration of life memorial at [Full House creator] Jeff Franklin’s house.”
One day after news broke of Saget’s death, the Olsen twins — who played Michelle Tanner on the beloved ’90s sitcom — released a statement to Us sharing their condolences. Saget portrayed Michelle’s dad, Danny Tanner, throughout both the original Full House and its Netflix sequel, Fuller House.
“Bob was the most loving, compassionate and generous man,” the Row designers noted in their statement. “We are deeply saddened that he is no longer with us but know that he will continue to be by our side to guide us as gracefully as he always has. We are thinking of his daughters, wife and family and are sending our condolences.”
The former America’s Funniest Home Videos host is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, along with children Aubrey, Lara and Jennifer, whom he shares with ex-wife Sherri Kramer. Ahead of Saget’s funeral, Mayer, 44, and Ross picked up his car from LAX and remembered their friend during the drive.
“I’ve never known a human being on this earth who could give that much love, individually and completely, to that many people in a way that made each person feel like he was a main character in their life and they were a main character in his life,” the musician said after going live on Instagram on January 13. “Everyone is so aware how universal Bob’s love for people was.”
Mayer continued: “[Saget] had every excuse under the sun to be cynical, to be upset, to be distrusting. … But he laughed and he spread joy and his protest[ed] against the cruelty of these things was that he was going to smile, and spread love, and be childlike, and be innocent and be loving.”
Rizzo, 42, later thanked the pair for their touching gesture via her Instagram Story. “No words for how much this meant to me,” the Eat Travel Rock blogger wrote at the time. “These two men have been holding me up and taking care of me (along with many other incredible people who loved my husband more than anything).”