“Friends” Fans from Around the World Mourn Matthew Perry in N.Y.C: 'Losing a Dear Friend' (Exclusive)

From learning English to forging connections across generations, Perry's admirers told PEOPLE how he shaped their lives while paying their respects to the late actor beside the Big Apple building Friends made iconic

Friends fans came together to not only mourn the life of Matthew Perry as an actor, but also like a “family” member on Sunday.

The morning after the famed actor died from an apparent drowning at age 54, hundreds of admirers from around the world braved the rainy New York City weather to pay tribute at the apartment building where his Friends character Chandler Bing lived.

Along the streetlight at the corner of the building, located in Manhattan’s West Village, Perry’s life was honored with flowers, heartful handwritten notes and even gum packs in reference to one of Chandler’s iconic lines — “You know on second thought, gum would be perfection” — in a scene with model Jill Goodacre.

Related: Remembering Matthew Perry's Life and Career in Photos

When N.Y.C. residents Mayya and Khristian Bork arrived, they instantly grew emotional while gazing up at the six-story residence of their beloved character.

Perry’s death was like “losing a dear friend” for the Russian natives, both of whom moved to the U.S. without knowing any English.

To learn the language, Khristian said he turned to the sitcom show for guidance.

“I didn’t have time or money to go to school, so I was watching Friends on repeat twenty-four-seven while working,” Khristian recalled. “I would draw and in the background, listen to Friends for three years every single day."

Related: Matthew Perry Almost Passed on Auditioning for His Star-Making Role as Chandler Bing on Friends

The 35-year-old artist watched the 10-season show so often that he could quote any line from any episode. But more significant is how much Khristian “related” to Perry’s character, according to his wife, Mayya.

“Part of him just died,” Mayya, 34, said of her husband’s emotional reaction to the news. “I think that’s why it’s so hard on Khristian right now, because he likes to make jokes every day and he makes me laugh.”

“[Watching Friends] is how I got my American sense of humor because I’m from a very different, more conservative country,” Khristian added.

The couple both agreed that the Emmy-nominated actor’s death was “very sudden” — especially in light of how “great” he looked while on tour to promote his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Related: Matthew Perry to Write Autobiography, Says It's Time People Hear His Story 'Directly' from Him

In the 2022 memoir, the author got candid about his time in the spotlight, his high-profile romances and his long journey with drug and alcohol addiction.

"I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again," he exclusively told PEOPLE in his 2022 cover story. "I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people."

Related: Matthew Perry Once Said He'd Give Up Fame and Fortune to Avoid Facing Addiction: 'I Would Trade It All'

While at his book tour stop in the winter of last year, the Borks thought that Perry did exactly what he sought to accomplish.

“He was so excited to spread the awareness of addiction and all the stuff that he went through,” Mayya said. “He wanted to help people, so it seemed like he was on a new page of his life.”

Related: Matthew Perry Says 'Friends' Cast Rallied Around Him at Height of His Addiction: 'They Were Patient'

Less than a year later, when the couple read the news of Perry’s passing while listening to the late Gene Wilder’s “Pure Imagination,” they believed the actor was in a good place.

“We want to believe that he’s there finally, making everybody laugh and doing something he wanted to do without all the suffering inside,” Mayya said. “He’s still with us, absolutely, in every person who ever watched [Friends]. That’s how we keep people alive, by remembering them.”

The sitcom also played a major role in Devin Cates’ life by catalyzing his move to the Big Apple from his hometown in Kentucky. The show was the sole reason Cates, 37, became a “New York nerd.”

“Friends was a staple of my life growing up in Kentucky,” Cates said. “It was just one of the shows we always had on as a family, so it was a big inspiration for me to wind up moving here.”

Cates had visited the Friends building before, so upon hearing news of Perry’s death, he knew he would have to pay his respects at the Greenwich residence again.

“It makes me really sad that if we’re going to lose one of them, it was him first, after everything that he did,” Cates said of his journey watching the actor’s ups and downs. “I’m 37, so [54] doesn’t feel that far off. You just never know.”

What Cates will remember most of the late actor is not his career highs and lows, but how the Fools Rush In star made him “laugh so much.”

“His little quips, the delivery of his comedic lines — his timing was so perfect,” Cates said. “When I try to be funny, I think about delivery perfection and how you do it and the way it’s done. I think about him often, because he was the master at it.”

Related: Matthew Perry's Friends and Costars React to His Death: 'Shock and Sadness Prevail'

Like Cates, the Patterson family also describes Perry’s comedy as “timeless.”

As longtime Friends fans of nearly 25 years, the United Kingdom natives, who coincidentally “arrived in New York yesterday” for a family vacation, reflected on Perry’s portrayal of Chandler with nostalgia.

“When I think about Friends and Chandler Bing and Matthew Perry, it takes me straight back to being in university,” Patterson, 46, said.

Her sister also recalls the show with a similar fondness. “I think you grow up with that sort of person in your bedroom when you’re getting ready for school,” Plumpton, 40, mused.

The sisters had always hoped for a future cast reunion, but now know that should it ever occur, it won’t look the same.

“There’s always that hope as a Friends fan that they’ll do something in the future,” Plumpton said. “We’re never really going to get that — and if we do, it won’t be proper, will it?”

However, the show’s evergreen sense of humor and friendship still links Patterson’s past with her future, now that she re-watches every episode with her daughter.

“She loves it,” Patterson said with a nod to her 15-year-old daughter. “It doesn’t matter that she’s 31 years younger than me — we can enjoy the same thing because it creates a connection. All the characters were connected, and now we’re connected because of that. It’s a generational thing and goes on through the family.”

“I laugh at the jokes, she laughs at the jokes,” Patterson continues. “It’s timeless, so I think we’ll all still be watching Friends in another 30 year’s time.”

Related: Matthew Perry's Parents: All About His Dad John, Mom Suzanne and Stepdad Keith Morrison

Despite the sitcom's success, Patterson still recognizes that Perry will always be remembered in ways beyond his time on Friends.

“He was amazing because it wasn’t just about Friends,” Patterson said. “It’s everything else he did. Everything that he did for people like him with addiction issues was amazing.”

“His life will be celebrated for years to come,” she added. “Tens of decades to come.”

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In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Perry’s family shared a message with the late actor’s supporters.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," his family told PEOPLE on Sunday. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."

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