Thicke's son shares fond memories of father
Alan Thicke famously dispensed reassurance, fatherly wisdom and hearty laughs as beloved patriarch Dr. Jason Seaver on the popular 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains.”
Since his death from a sudden heart attack last week at age 69, Thicke has been warmly remembered for those same attributes in his personal life, says his son, Robin Thicke.
Robin, the Grammy-nominated pop-soul singer known for his hit “Blurred Lines,” says his father had a penchant for sage advice. One of Robin’s favorite quotes from his dad goes: “There is a finite end to this life, and we’re all going to face it, and a little silliness can help.”
It was in that spirit of mourning and mirthfulness, says Robin, that Alan Thicke’s loved ones gathered for a memorial celebration last Sunday in Carpinteria. (Various quotes by Thicke, including the one above, were printed on place cards.)
Robin spoke to The Times, sharing stories of how his father had moved so many and been loved by even more.
“There was a sadness, of course, but we all had this little twinkle in our eye that he had because we were so happy to be with each other and he kept a lot of us in touch,” Robin says. “(The memorial) was the kind of celebration he would have loved, but never would have thrown for himself.”
The memorial celebration drew an array of family and friends from Alan Thicke’s long and varied career, including the TV family for which he is most remembered.
“Leo (DiCaprio) flew in especially just to be at the event,” says Robin of the Oscar winner who appeared on the sitcom in one of his earliest roles. “Leo led up (former costars) Kirk Cameron and Jeremy Miller and Joanna Kerns and Tracey Gold — Kirk wore his ‘Growing Pains’ sweater from the show — and they all stood up there and told a story. And I know my dad was smiling about that.”
In a statement released earlier last week, Thicke’s widow, Tanya Callau Thicke, offered gratitude for the many well wishes the family had received.
“It is with gut-wrenching sadness and unbelievable grief that I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love and support during this unimaginable time,” the statement read, in part.
(The family asked that donations be made in Thicke’s name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.)
Thicke and Callau Thicke were “soul mates,” says Robin. “His favorite day would be to spend the afternoon playing some tennis or hockey with his sons and then coming home to his beautiful Tanya at the end of the day.”
When asked about his father’s legacy, Robin choked up and brought it back to family.
“The most important legacy that he left was the kind of father that he was,” he says. “I love being a father. It’s the most important thing in my life. I love being with my son and my family, and he made all of that possible. And all three of his sons love their families and are taking care of their families. And that’s what he would want to leave behind: three positive, happy, loving sons,” says Thicke of himself and brothers Brennan and Carter.
Robin collected a wealth of testimonials (some of which have been edited for clarity and length) to share. Here are some highlights:
Magic Johnson
Alan Thicke was one of the first celebrity friends I had in Los Angeles. He used to come to the Forum and support the Lakers all the time. One night after a Lakers’ game, I met him and Dr. Buss (former Laker owner Jerry Buss) for dinner. We had so much fun talking that we ended up at Dr. Buss’ house playing pool all night. I’m so glad I had the chance to know Alan. My condolences go out to his wife, Tanya, and kids, Robin, Brennan and Carter. He was a great man.
Bill Maher
When (Thicke’s son) Carter was still very young, (Alan) got engaged to Tanya, and the three of us were having dinner at the old Sunset Room one night. And Tanya was waving her hand around frantically so I’d notice the big ring, which I finally did, and we talked about the ring for quite a while . later, the conversation turned to little Carter, and at one point I asked Alan, “Does he understand about sex yet?” And he said, “No, not really, but he knows it has something to do with the ring.”
