Tiffani Thiessen Announces the Death of Her Father: 'Thank You for Loving Me'

"He was kind, had a sweet sense of humor and was the utmost gentleman," the 'Saved by the Bell' star said of her dad Frank in a touching Instagram post

Tiffani Thiessen is mourning the loss of her 85-year-old father.

The Saved by the Bell actress, 50, announced the death of her dad, Frank Thiessen, a park designer, in an Instagram post on Friday, May 24.

In the post, Tiffani described her dad as a lover of many things, including animals, pasta, lottery tickets, jazz and pasta.

“But what he loved most was his family,” Tiffani wrote. “He was a quiet man, but was never quiet about showing his love for us. He was kind, had a sweet sense of humor and was the utmost gentleman. Everybody who knew my Dad LOVED him. He truly had a heart of gold.”

The Instagram contained a carousel of images of Frank over the years – from his days as a young father to Tiffani to his role as a grandfather to Holt, 8, and Harper, 13, Tiffani’s two children that she shares with her husband Brady Smith.

Related: Tiffani Thiessen Feels Better at 50 Than 40, But She’s Still Dyeing Her Hair: 'Not Ready to Go Gray' (Exclusive)

Tiffani said she is “heartbroken” that her father is gone but added that she is comforted that he is now at peace.

“I promise you I will watch over Mom and take care of her as you did for over 60 years,” she wrote in the post. “Thank you for being such a dedicated husband and showing me what a true gentleman is. Thank you for being a wonderful Dad and Gramps and being there for us. But most of all, thank you for loving me like you always did. No matter what, you had my back and were my biggest fan. I loved making you proud.”

She concluded: “I love you, Daddy. We miss you so much.”

Related: Tiffani Thiessen Poses with Her Lookalike Daughter Harper, 13, at the Hunger Games Premiere

The star earlier marked her father’s milestone birthday on Feb. 3 via Instagram, writing: “Happy 85th Birthday Daddy! Another year around the sun and another candle added to your cake. (🍋 of course)”

“So much to be proud and thankful for and you’re one of them. I ❤️ you Daddy!”

Tiffani’s touching tribute to her dad following his death generated words of support in the post’s comment section, including from several celebrities such as her Saved by the Bell costar Mario Lopez.

Related: Tiffani Thiessen's Daughter Is Saved by the Bell Actress' Mini-Me in Family Thanksgiving Photo

“God Bless you and the family Tiff. Losing a parent is so incredibly hard. I can’t imagine your pain and grief at this time… Love you honey, sending nothing but love,” Lopez commented.

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“Tiff. My heart breaks for you. I’m so so sorry. The absolute worst,” wrote The Practice actress Marla Sokoloff.

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