>> Mary Tyler Moore's cause of death revealed
She was buried in Connecticut on Sunday in a private memorial for friends and family.
"I can't believe she is gone. Mary was my life, my light, my love. The emptiness I feel without her with me is without bottom. She was a force of nature who fiercely defended her autonomy even as her health was failing. Mary was fearless, determined and willful. If she felt strongly about something, or that there was truth to be told, she would do it, no matter the consequences," Levine told People in a statement.
>> PHOTOS: Mary Tyler Moore through the years
“She was kind, genuine, approachable, honest and humble. And she had that smile. Oh, to see her smile that smile, just once more. … My sadness is only tempered by the remarkable outpouring of good wishes, tributes, and personal ‘Mary stories’ told, with heart, by those touched by her grace,” he added. “As long as we all remember her, talk about her, share our stories about her and what she meant to us, her light will never go out.”
Moore was married twice before marrying Levine. In 1982, they reportedly connected when she tried to call her primary doctor to see her mother who had fallen ill with bronchitis. Her regular doctor was unavailable, and Levine treated her mother. They went on their first date just days later and wed on Thanksgiving Eve in 1983.
About the Author