Kirk Douglas passed away in February 2020 at 103, and recently, his son and daughter-in-law shared tributes on what would have been his 104th birthday.
When we lose someone dear, their loss stays with us every single day. The milestones that can no longer be touched by those who have passed aren't the only times when we think of them. However, it's a good time to remember why we cherished them so much.
Michael Douglas, 76, and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, 51, recently revealed that they miss Kirk Douglas, who died in February 2020 at the age of 103. On December 9, 2020, they honored the Douglas family patriarch on what would have been his 104th birthday.
"Missing you every day. Happy birthday Pappy 💕," the actress captioned a photo she shared of herself and the legendary actor. In the black and white photo, he is seen giving Zeta-Jones a kiss on the cheek. She leans over his shoulder to kiss him back. The photo was taken at the 2018 Golden Globe awards, according to People.
Meanwhile, Michael, who is the eldest son of the Paths of Glory actor, wrote, "Happy Birthday Dad! I miss you and thank you for always giving the best advice! Love, Michael." He shared a video montage of himself with his father. The pictures showed them at different stages of their lives together.
"The best advice my father gave me was 'Whatever you do, you do it to the best of your ability. You leave that job knowing that you couldn't have done any more, and then screw it, walk away, you've done the best. Don't look back,'" Michael shared.
Michael's son Cameron also responded to his father's video tribute to the Spartacus actor. Cameron also shared a video tribute to his grandfather with the message, "Happy Birthday Pappy. I miss you and I Love you."
The Ace in the Hole actor died on February 5, earlier this year. His oldest child confirmed the death and shared a loving message with it. "To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to," he wrote in a moving statement. "But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband."
"Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true," he concluded. "Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son."
Back in February, the Mask of Zorro actress thanked the fans and followers for their loving words. "Michael joins me in thanking you all for your overwhelming love, kind words and prayers since the passing of my father in law Kirk," she wrote on social media, according to People. "My whole family appreciated every word. Love to you all," she added.
The 103-year-old veteran actor had lived quite a life of adventure. He was born to poor immigrants but made his fortune in the world of entertainment. "My parents came from Russia and my original name was Izzy Danielovitch," Douglas told People in 2015. He changed his name to Kirk Douglas since it was too "unwieldy and too Semitic" for Hollywood back then. "I wish I had kept it," he said. "It’s more interesting to keep your original name. But can you imagine that name on a marquee?" he had said.
However, that wasn't the only reason he wanted to give up the family name. His father was never supportive, so he may have wanted to distance himself from him. "My father was not very affectionate," he said, adding, "He was never interested in what I was doing. I had six sisters and no brothers and I wanted to be close to my father and he just ignored me."
Instead, he became a loving father to his kids and an adoring grandfather to his grandkids, who still remember and love him.
References:
https://people.com/movies/catherine-zeta-jones-michael-douglas-pay-tribute-kirk-douglas-birthday/
https://people.com/movies/catherine-zeta-jones-thanks-fans-overwhelming-love-kirk-douglas-death/
https://people.com/movies/kirk-douglas-triumphant-hollywood-story-in-his-own-words/
