Former Rabbi Of Bob Saget Says He Was ‘One of the Greatest Gifts of My Life’

Bob Saget‘s former rabbi gave a touching tribute to the beloved actor following his death.

Saget died on Sunday at an Orlando, Florida Ritz-Carlton hotel at age 65.

He had performed a stand-up set the night before and was found dead in his hotel room hours later. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed. However, there were no signs of drug use or foul play reported.

Steven Carr Reuben, Saget’s rabbi and the former senior rabbi of Kehillat Israel in Los Angeles, wrote an op-ed for The Forward, in which he described his friendship with the actor and wrote about how much their bond meant to him.

The rabbi said that he had known Saget for “over 30 years as his rabbi and as a friend, and like the rest of the world, I am devastated by his death.”

“For me personally, Bob was one of the greatest gifts of my life,” he wrote. “No matter how busy he was with his remarkable career, he was always there with his love, his humor, and his giving heart for every event, celebration, and important moment in my life as well.”

Reuben also spoke about Saget’s life, mentioning how the comedian “lived in the shadow of death” however, he never let that stop him from helping and bringing joy to others.

“Two twin siblings died in infancy before he was even born… His sister Andi died suddenly of a brain aneurysm at the age of 34 and his sister Gay from scleroderma at the age of 47,” Reuben detailed. He also added that Saget’s father, Ben, had died in 2006 while his mother, Dolly, died in 2014.

“He is renowned for having raised millions of dollars year after year for the Scleroderma Research Foundation in memory of his sister Gay, and he actually expressed regret to me that he hadn’t been raising money for research into brain aneurysms as well,” Reuben continued.

“Bob brought his special brand of love, compassion, open-hearted joy for life itself and humor into every moment,” he added, later calling Saget “one of the funniest human beings on earth.”

Reuben also spoke on his late friend’s loyalty, saying how he was always there for him during some of the most important moments of his life, PEOPLE reported.

“When he heard I helped to found griefHaven.org, he was the first person to appear at our gala to receive the ‘Peace of Heart’ award and support our grief work,” he wrote. “When my retirement event took place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in 2014, it was Bob who immediately volunteered to be the host and emcee for the night, and when my book, ‘Becoming Jewish‘ was published, it was Bob Saget who wrote the foreword.”

In the conclusion of his op-ed, Reuben addressed the many tributes that have poured in since Saget’s passing, adding how they “reveal the true measure” for the beloved star.

“He was the same loving, caring, giving, compassionate ‘dear friend’ to literally everyone who knew him,” he shared. “Bob once wrote, ‘When tragedy strikes, it’s more important than ever to look for anything that can bring humor and joy to every moment.’ That is Bob’s true legacy – the gift of bringing humor and joy to every moment, every relationship, every day of his life.”

“The greatest tribute we can pay to Bob and his life is for those of us who knew and loved him dearly to carry that gift of his humor and love, and share it with everyone we meet every day of our lives,” he wrote.

Reuben presided over Saget’s funeral on Friday, which he also mentioned. “This is a tremendous tragedy for all of us who loved him,” he said, calling Saget the “nicest, sweetest, warmest, most loving guy, and always showing up for everybody.”

Saget is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters — Aubrey, 34, Lara, 32, and Jennifer, 29.

His family released a statement, saying they are “devastated” by his sudden death.

“He was everything to us, and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter,” the statement read. “Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world.”