Suzanne Somers family celebrate her birthday the day after she died.Photo:Suzanne Somers/ Instagram
Suzanne Somers/ Instagram
Suzanne Somers’ family celebrated the late matriarch on what would have been her 77th birthday.
On Monday night, Somers’ official Instagram account shared a video reel of theThree’s Companyactress’ family singing “Happy Birthday” one day afterthe actress died.
Hamel, 87, told PEOPLE in this week’s issue — which celebrates Somers' life and legacy after herdeathSunday at age 76 — that thefamily celebrated the actress' lifeon Monday.
“We actually toasted, last night we had I think 12 of us here and we all toasted Suzanne. I’m sure we’ll do something today. I’m positive we’ll do something today. I don’t know what it’ll be, but it’ll involve a lot of cake because Suzanne was crazy for cake,” said Hamel.
He also revealed that the actress loved “all cakes” but had a special spot for “red velvet [cake].” Hamel shared that “if she could get her hands on a red velvet cupcake, that would make her day.”
Suzanne Somers family celebrate her birthday.Suzanne Somers/ Instagram
Hamel also shared with PEOPLE that he recalls “every moment” of their first encounter on the set ofThe Anniversary Gamein 1969.
“We were going to be shooting in a couple of hours and I had my crew around me and we’re talking about last-minute touch-ups,” said Somers’ husband. “I look over on the other side of the stage, and I see the most incredible woman I’ve ever seen in my life. And I thought, ‘I have to go over there and talk to her.’ "
“So I left the crew, and I started walking over and I’ve never been good with come-on lines at all,” continued Hamel.
He admitted at the moment he may have been a “little panicky” about approaching her, but he said, “So I blurted out, ‘Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?’ How’s that for stupid? And she did. She did get me a cup of coffee, and there was an immediate connection like I had never felt before in my life.”
“For the past 42 years, we have not spent even one hour apart. And one of our sons refers to our relationship as ‘functionally codependent,’ which it probably is,” he joked. Once the couple connected, they worked to blend their families, with Somers' son Bruce Jr. from her previous marriage and Hamel’s two children, Stephen and Leslie, from his first marriage.
Suzanne Somers Alan Hamel 1978 emmy awards.George Rose/Getty
George Rose/Getty
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The day before what would have been Somers’ 77th birthday, her husband, Hamel,gifted his wife of 46years a poem for her birthday, which the actress read before shedied peacefully in her sleepon Sunday.
Somers’ longtime publicist R. Couri Hay told PEOPLE that Hamel “gave it to her a day early and she read the poem and went to bed and later died peacefully in her sleep.”
Suzanne Somers and husband Alan Hamel visit the SiriusXM Studios on November 15, 2017.Cindy Ord/Getty
source: people.com
