Ryan O’Neal’s Son Patrick Says He’s Planning a ‘Celebration of Life’ to Honor His Late Dad: ‘Will Be Amazing’ Ryan O’Neal died at age 82 on Dec. 8 of “congestive heart failure,” according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE
By Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle is an editorial assistant on the Movies team at PEOPLE. Tommy joined PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 28, 2023 04:59PM EST Patrick O’Neal and Ryan O’Neal on Nov. 7, 2012. Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty
Ryan O’Neal ‘s son Patrick O’Neal plans to memorialize his father after his death at 82 .
Days after the Love Story actor was buried next to his longtime partner Farrah Fawcett in Los Angeles, Patrick shared an image to Instagram showing a person holding a drawing of Ryan’s likeness. In a caption to the photo, Patrick, a sports broadcaster, wrote that he is “in the process of planning my dad’s memorial and celebration of life for late January.”
“Everyone who should be there will be there and it will be amazing, trust me. ,” Patrick wrote. “This will be a tribute to the man, his family, his love of boxing, and his legendary career as an actor. I have my work cut out for me because Ryan took about 3 million photos and saved 700 thousand of them ”
Photos of Ryan’s burial service published by The Daily Mail showed Patrick in attendance at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary for the ceremony. Ryan’s ex-wife Leigh Taylor-Young and actress Alana Stewart, a friend of Fawcett’s, were also present.
Ryan O’Neal Dead: Actor Reflected on Love Story’s 50th Anniversary with Ali MacGraw in 2021 PEOPLE Interview Patrick announced his father’s death on Dec. 8, when he shared on Instagram that Ryan “passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us” alongside a photo of a beach at sunset.
“He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop,” Patrick wrote at the time. He also shared a photo of a beach at sunset on his Instagram Story on Christmas Day as he wrote, “1st Christmas without my dad. Prayers up. We miss you.”
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Inside Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett’s Love Story: ‘I Loved Her with All My Heart’ Patrick O’Neal and Ryan O’Neal at a Los Angeles Kings game on May 23, 2013. Noel Vasquez/Getty
Patrick is Ryan’s only son from his marriage to his Peyton Place costar, Leigh Taylor-Young. Ryan is also survived by his two children from his marriage to Joanna Moore: Tatum O’Neal and Griffin O’Neal; and his son with Fawcett: Redmond James Fawcett O’Neal.
After Ryan’s death, his daughter and Paper Moon costar Tatum honored her dad in a statement to PEOPLE .
“I feel great sorrow with my father’s passing,” she said. “He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I’ll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms.”
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