A doodle Ric Ocasek drew hours before his death has given his family something to smile about as they mourn their loss.
The Cars singer passed away on Sunday (15Sep19) and now his sons have revealed the rocker left them with a lasting final message, suggesting they should never forget their dad but move on with their lives.
The sketch, discovered in his New York City apartment, features a black and red figure with the words: "Never forget that look", "Keep on laughin'" and "It is what it is" scribbled beside it.
"Our dad was a prolific doodler," a message posted on The Cars' social media outlets by Ocasek’s sons reads. "His passing was sudden, unexpected and beyond heartbreaking. Yesterday, we found this last doodle on his armchair. He couldn’t have known what it would end up meaning to us. We love him so much."
Ocasek’s estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova, who discovered his body has revealed he was recovering from surgery and that she and two of his six sons, Jonathan and Oliver, had been "making sure he was comfortable, ordering food and watching TV together".
A statement from her reads: "I found him still asleep when bringing him his Sunday morning coffee. I touched his cheek to rouse him. It was then I realized that during the night he had peacefully passed on."
New York Medical Examiner's officials have declared the rocker died from heart disease.