Patrick Muldoon's family and friends paid their respects to the late Days of Our Lives actor in a celebration of life service one month after his tragic death from a heart attack at age 57. The intimate gathering was held at St Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California, on Friday.
Attendees included Denise Richards' daughter, Sami Sheen, 22, who posted a picture of the service's handout on her Instagram Stories. In the background played I Believe, a song written and sung by Muldoon. 'Miss u so much Patrick,' she wrote in the caption alongside a sorrowful black heart emoji. Muldoon had dated her mother years ago and remained a constant presence in her life.
Muldoon's friend and former USC Trojans teammate Rodney Peete shared via Instagram how much he already missed him. 'Tough Day saying goodbye to my friend Pat Muldoon!!! He was my Teammate, My Brother, My Friend miss you already brotha,' Peete captioned an earlier shot of Muldoon. The two had stayed close for decades after playing football together at the prestigious school in the 1980s.
The ceremony at the church seemed a fitting farewell, as Muldoon had attended the Jesuit-run Loyola High School in Los Angeles and remained deeply spiritual and committed to his faith for the rest of his life.
Muldoon died on April 19 after suffering a heart attack at the Beverly Hills home he shared with his girlfriend Miriam Rothbart, his manager confirmed to Variety. The actor and art lover, best known for his roles in Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, had gone to take a shower and was found unconscious on the bathroom floor when his girlfriend checked on him. Paramedics were called but were unable to revive him. According to the death certificate obtained by Us Weekly, several underlying causes contributed to his sudden passing, including a pulmonary embolism and coagulopathy disorder, a genetic condition that impairs the blood's ability to properly form clots.
Richards, 55, his ex-girlfriend and co-star in the 1997 sci-fi film Starship Troopers, shared a message on Instagram reflecting on their decades-long friendship. 'I am deeply heartbroken and devastated losing you. You were my best friend and my family,' she wrote. 'We met in our first acting class, I was 19 never had an acting job and you were 21 a student at USC doing a recurring role on Who's the Boss.'
'And here we are. 36 years later. My whole adult life and I don't know it without you.' Richards' emotional Instagram post was accompanied by a video montage featuring images and clips of the pair over several decades, set to the song Everything I Own by Bread. 'The friendship, love, support, respect and loyalty we had was unconditional and rare. You lit up every room you walked into,' she continued. 'You are larger than life and everyone was drawn to you. So talented and most underrated actor. And most humble.'
'Everything you did was infectious. Your laugh, your kindness, your wit, your strength, your loyalty, your passion and your zest for life. We've been each other's rock. Our memories together are endless. You've had my back and protected me more than anyone.' She added, 'I don't know what I'm going to do without you here. Especially during this last year of pain and heartache. And now I need you more than ever, for this pain and heartache losing you.'
The pair dated for nearly five years before remaining close friends and collaborators, most recently working together on the upcoming crime thriller Dirty Hands, which was released just days after his death. He also famously dated Tori Spelling when she was on Beverly Hills, 90210 and he was on Melrose Place.
Muldoon's sister, Shana Muldoon Zappa, 48, shared the last video her brother sent her on Instagram. He had been at the opening of the new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art the day before he died. It was all the more bittersweet as the clip featured Muldoon pointing out a heavenly painting: Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Vision of Christ and God the Father at La Storta by Domenico Zampieri, circa 1622.
