The husband of the late Suzanne Somers has been sharing details of the actor’s final moments before she passed away on Sunday, one day shy of her 77th birthday.
‘We were in bed together and her breathing was erratic, and I had been talking to her for hours,’ her husabnd Alan Hamel, 87, said to NBC News.
‘There was no response except when I kissed her, she responded, and then around 5 o’clock in the morning, she was gone.’
Somers had an incredible love story spanning half a century with Hamel. The Three’s Company actress spent 55 years with her longtime partner.
The couple were together married for 46 of those years, and their love endured even through her 23-year battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
Hamel said he knew the end was near in the hours before she died on Sunday.
Somers died on Sunday at the age of 76. She had an incredible love story spanning more than half a century with husband Alan Hamel, 87. This is their final photo together, taken in Jul
The Three’s Company actress spent 55 years with her longtime partner and was married for 46 of those. This is one of their first photos together- taken in the mid70s
The husband of the late Suzanne Somers has been sharing details of the actor’s final moments before she passed away on Sunday, one day shy of her 77th birthday
Before she passed, Hamel wrote her a gushing love letter. He gave it to her a day early, ahead of her birthday, and he read the poem aloud for her.
She was initially diagnosed with skin cancer in her 30s and then battled breast cancer in 2000.
This past summer, she had revealed she had received another cancer diagnosis.
Her adoring husband supported her through it all.
Just three days before her death, Somers had been with cancer specialists in Chicago and seemed to be doing better.
‘She was eating and was, you know, taking her medicine,’ Hamel said to NBC – but then after returning home, things took a turn for the worse.
‘All of a sudden she wasn’t responding and she wasn’t eating and she wasn’t taking her meds. As I know her so well I thought, “I wonder if I should call 911?” And I knew that she wouldn’t want that and that she did not want to go to a hospital.’
Suzanne Somers had been married to her husband Alan Hamel for 46 years. Pictured in 1978
Somers would recognize her anniversary with husband Alan. This is from their 55th year together
The couple’s love endured even through her 23-year battle with an aggressive form of cancer
In 1969, the couple first met on the set of the syndicated game show series, The Anniversary Game, with Somers as a prize model and Hamel as the host, marrying in 1977. Seen in 1994
The pair had also been candid about their very spicy sex life as Somers had previously opened up about how she ‘spoiled’ her husband in bed. The couple are pictured in 2018
Hamel sat by her side for her remaining days on Earth.
‘I talked to her for hours, every night, and I assumed she could hear me because her lips responded. Hopefully, she was understanding what I was saying.
‘I’m just kind of shuffling along right now. Fortunately, we have a great family and they were all here.’
The couple first met on the set of the game show series, The Anniversary Game, in 1969. Somers was a prize model and Hamel was the host.
Her time on the show was brief, but their romance ignited then and continued even when she left the show.
Years later in March 1977, the couple purchased a home in Palm Springs, California, together.
Suzanne Somers accepts her award at the People’s Choice Awards ceremony in LA in 1978
Somers is also survived by three granddaughters, including Camelia
Somers and Hamel are also grandparents to granddaughters Daisy Hamel-Buffa (shown here) and Violet
‘I was standing with the crew and the staff having a final meeting before we started shooting the series and I saw this incredible woman standing across the stage and I thought I have to go over there, which I did – and I’ve never been good with come-on lines, and I’m not going to tell you my come-on line because it was just really stupid, but it worked!’
The pair was married in 1977 – even becoming business partners.
Hamel began advising Somers after failed negotiations with her Three’s Company contract in 1980 led to her being fired from the hit show.
‘I remember I took her by the shoulders and I said, “Suzanne, we’re going to make this work for us,” and within a very short time, we had a plan,’ he said. ‘And we brought on some people who I knew were experts and who totally understood branding.’
Hamel says they devoted their time into Somers’ best-selling books, beauty line, several Las Vegas residencies and their eventual best-selling ThighMaster.
Hamel says although his wife went on to land another hit TV role in ‘Step by Step’ from 1991 to 1998, her role as Chrissy Snow held a special place.
Because their children are all grown up and thriving in their own lives, they would focus on just ‘having fun’. The couple did not have any children together but had blended their families into a loving and strong unit. Somers is survived by her son Bruce Somers Jr., 57, from her previous relationship
Hamel also has two adult children — son Stephen and daughter Leslie — from his first marriage to Marilyn Hamel
‘She said to me when she got [‘Three’s Company’], ‘dumb blondes are irritating, you just want to get away from them. I want to create a dumb blonde character that I love. And if I love it, everybody else will love it as well.’ And so that was it.’
Hamel said he hopes his wife will be remembered for being a good mother and helping those around her.
‘We wouldn’t have this family today if it wasn’t for her. She did things that no one would know about. I would hear her on the phone talking people down and ensuring everything’s going to be OK. And she tried to respond to everybody.’
The couple did not have any children together but had blended their families into a loving and strong unit.
Somers is survived by her son Bruce Somers Jr., 57, from her previous relationship.
Hamel also has two adult children — son Stephen and daughter Leslie — from his first marriage to Marilyn Hamel.
Somers is also survived by three granddaughters, Camelia, Violet and Daisy Hamel-Buffa.
Somers will be buried in a private ceremony later this week.
Somers will be buried in a private ceremony later this week. Pictured: Flowers around Somers’ Walk of Fame star on October 16
SOME OF SUZANNE’S BEST MOMENTS IN HOLLYWOOD
1973
Somers played the mysterious blonde in a white Thunderbird car in the 1973 classic film American Graffiti from George Lucas.
Somers played the mysterious blonde in a white Thunderbird car in the 1973 classic film American Graffiti from George Lucas
1976
She played a passenger on the first episode of The Love Boat.
She played a passenger on the first episode of The Love Boat in 1976
1977
She made a splash as the ditzy but darling blonde beauty Chrissy Snow on the sitcom Three’s Company that was considered racy because a straight man (played by John Ritter) was living with two single women (Suzanne and Joyce De Witt).
John Ritter, Joyce Dewitt, Suzanne Somers Three’s Company – 1977
1977
She had a guest starring role as a pinup in the ABC TV movie Ants! The star filmed the show in Qualicum Beach, Canada in 1977.
Here she is seen with nothing on under a beige sheet in a bed.
Somers appearing in the ABC tv movie Ants! in 1977
1978
Somers promoting the Cerebral Palsy Telethon in Central Park 1978. She wore a pink bathing suit which won the attention of onlookers.
Somers promoting the Cerebral Palsy Telethon in Central Park 1978. She wore a pink bathing suit which won the attention of onlookers
1979
The California native is seen here in a skimpy bikini for a segment on the popular late night show The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
On The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for a skit as she wore a skimpy bikini
1979
She took to doing bathing suit photo shoots on the beach in the late 1970s to boost her career.
Here she had on a strapless one piece with her hair in a side ponytail, the look of the day.
She had a toned figure which led to her being the spokesperson for ThighMaster which made a fortune.
Get ready to surf! She modeled swimsuits on the beach to show off her incredible shape
1979
She made a name for herself with pinup photos with goofy hair styles. Here she is seen in a Three’s Company publicity photo.
In a beige workout outfit for a publicity shoot for her hit show Three’s Company
1980
The beauty in 1980 on the episode of Three’s Company titled Lee Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. Jack (Ritter) disapproved of his visiting brother’s relationship with Chrissy (Somers).
She was fired during season five when she asked for a big pay raise.
The show ran from 1977 until 1984.
Lee Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother was the name of this episode for season four in 1980. Jack (Ritter) disapproved of his visiting brother’s relationship with Chrissy (Somers)
1991
In 1991 she was on the hit TV show Step By Step with costar Patrick Duffy of Dallas fame.
In 1991 she was on the show Step By Step with costar Patrick Duffy of Dallas fame. This episode was called Rules of the House and it aired on October 4, 1991
Bouquets of flowers placed at the Hollywood Walk of Fame star for the late actress