Gilbert Gottfried Laid to Rest in Star-Studded, Joke-Filled Funeral: 'He Would Have Loved It'
Gilbert Gottfried's loved ones are celebrating his life.
The beloved comedian and actor, who died on Tuesday at age 67, was laid to rest on Thursday morning in Westchester, New York, with celebrities from all parts of the industry paying tribute to their sweet friend.
Jeff Ross, Colin Quinn, Susie Essman, Mario Cantone, Dave Attell, and Paul Shaffer, as well as Bob Saget's wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters, Aubrey, Jennifer, and Lara, were in attendance at the memorial.
Whoopi Goldberg, although not in attendance, sent a gift in honor of Gottfried, and comedian Sarah Silverman is planning on sitting shiva with a slew of the Aladdin voice actor's friends and family.
"The shiva tonight will be a star-studded event and the funeral was just absolutely perfect," Ross, who gave Gilbert's eulogy, tells PEOPLE. "Gilbert would have loved it. I saw so many great comics there paying their respects."
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Gilbert Gottfried
"It was cathartic but there was also a sense of relief," Ross adds. "As I said at the funeral, Gilbert had been sick, he was tired, and he had perfect timing. He knew it was his time to get off the stage."
Ross' emotional eulogy touched on all aspects of the comedian's life, including some of Gottfried's unique quirks – like taking "12,000 little bottles of shampoo" from hotels – as well as his incredible accomplishments throughout his lengthy career.
Noam Galai/WireImage Gilbert Gottfried
"50 years in show business, 50 years! He went on stage as a teenager and he never stopped. He was supposed to do a show last week. This man has been making people laugh for half a century. What a mitzvah. What a mission in life. What a purpose to have in this world," Ross said of Gottfried.
Jeff Ross/Instagram Jeff Ross, Gilbert Gottfried
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"Think about how many laughs he must have gotten from every person at every show, live and on TV and in the movies," he added. "How many laughs is that? A million? A billion?"
Ross also tells PEOPLE that seeing the family of Gottfried's late longtime friend and fellow comedian, Bob Saget, who died in January, was special.
"What was very heartwarming was seeing Bob Saget's daughters at the service," Ross says. "And some of the guys that helped Gilbert write those Comedy Central roasts — Aaron Lee and Jordan Rubin — they wanted to pay their respects. They were part of that team that helped him rip the roof off those roasts."
RELATED VIDEO: Gilbert Gottfried, Aladdin Voice Actor and Comedian, Dead at 67 'After a Long Illness'
Gottfried's death was announced in a statement his family posted to his official Twitter account on Tuesday.
"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children," the family said. "Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor. Love, the Gottfried family," they added.
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Gottfried's longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz told PEOPLE in an official statement, "Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022, from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II."
He is survived by his wife Dara, 14-year-old daughter Lily and 12-year-old son Max.
