Goodbye, my friend

[chrismann]

We all love you, John. Thank you so much for being such a bright light in our lives and for making us laugh so hard and feel so good. I hope you know how many lives you touched so positively in your lifetime.

The effect you had on my life could fill the pages of a book ... and, in a sense, it already has.

Thank you, John, for everything you did for me to help make my dream of pursuing, writing and publishing "Come and Knock on Our Door" a reality. Thanks for taking a chance on a college student/aspiring writer from Tulsa whose sense of humor and drive to succeed you so deeply influenced -- few would have given a "new kid on the block" the time of day, let alone publicize his book so generously on national TV. Your kindness encouraged me as much as your comedy and spirit inspired me. You were one of the good guys and true shining stars in Hollywood. I am so blessed to have known you and to have been so greatly affected my entire life by your sense of humor, talent, goodwill and energy.

Joyce, Suzanne, Priscilla, Richard, Don, Norman, Audra, Jenilee, Ann Wedgeworth, Dave Powers, your producers and guest stars -- they all loved you through the good times and not-so-good times. And you made a point to say for the record how much you loved each of them. The feelings you had for each other spilled out of the screen and into the homes of everybody who loved "Three's Company." You were at the epicenter of making what could have been just a silly, dismissed sitcom something that resonated and still resonates in people's hearts and minds.

We all miss you so very much and do not understand why such a great source of light and joy and inspiration had to leave us so soon. But, when our hearts begin to heal and our tears begin to dry, we will have many more laughs and smiles and good times thanks to your brilliance.

God bless you and your family.

Chris Mann