It's been three decades since the beloved actor made his debut John Candy He died of a heart attack at the age of 43.
On March 4, Kandi's two children shared touching messages to honor their late father on the anniversary of his death.
“30 years ago today…it feels like a lifetime with and without you. I miss you and love you forever,” Jennifer Candy Sullivan, 44, commented on her Instagram account.
“He was the best father,” Jennifer says. TODAY.com. “He would say: 'Don't worry about what people think of you. Just be your true self.'
“The other thing about my father is that he was the perfect family man,” she continues. “That's why he didn't want to be on Saturday Night Live. He knew that lifestyle wouldn't be healthy for him. He was smart that way.”
Jennifer named her 5-year-old son, Finley John William, after his grandfather.
“He definitely looks like Kandi. He definitely has my dad's hair,” Jennifer says, noting that the little boy looks like his paternal grandfather, too.
Anniversaries of loss can be difficult, but Jennifer says she “feels strong” today.
“My childhood best friend passed away last month. We grew up together, and she knew my dad. Her death made me miss my dad,” Jennifer says.
Jennifer's brother Christopher, 39, also shared a tribute to their father on Instagram on March 4. In the photo, Candy appears in his distinctive Hawaiian print.
“All my love to my dad today,” Chris, 39, wrote.
Both of Kandy's children followed him into the entertainment field. Chris and Jennifer are writers and actors.
Candy is best known for his roles in 1980s comedies, including “Uncle Buck” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” He was married to his wife, the ceramicist and abstract painter Rosemary Margaret Hobor, for 15 years.
“He was a regular guy and a wonderful, much-loved father,” Jennifer said. Entertainment Tonigt in 2015. “Very similar to the characters he was in the movie.”
Candy died in Mexico during the filming of “Wagon's East” in 1994.
“I was 9 years old. It was a Friday,” Chris said during a conversation with. Hollywood Reportr in 2016. “I remember speaking to him the night before he died and he said, ‘I love you and good night.’” “I will always remember that.”
Jennifer, who was 14 when Candy died, recalled her last call to her father.
“So I was talking to him on the phone, and I hate it, but I was kind of distant because I was studying,” she told the publication. “So I was like, ‘Yes, okay, I love you. I will talk to you later. I wish you good night.' Then I hung up and went back to studying.
According to Jennifer and Chris, heart disease runs in their family.
“He's always worked on his weight and his health,” Chris said while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. “Fortunately, he helped us figure it out for ourselves.”
Jennifer and Chris don't mind when people point out the resemblance between them and their father — they see it, too.
“My brother and I look like my parents at different times,” Jennifer explained to The Hollywood Reporter. “If you look at him when he was younger, that's Chris. And my dad is a little older, he's my face. For me, it was about getting in touch with my feminine side when people would say, 'You look just like your dad,' and I would say, 'Thank you… Then they say: “But you are much prettier than your father!” Sometimes my laugh is just like my father’s laugh.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com