Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' family are mourning the loss of Saul Consuelos - who passed away at age 87 following a long-term illness.
The family's beloved patriarch died on March 23, but his death was announced publicly on April 6.
After Kelly and Mark paid tribute to Saul on Live, the couple's oldest son, Michael Consuelos, posted a moving tribute on Instagram. The actor shared a photo of himself as a little boy being carried on his grandfather's shoulders, leaning on his head.
Kelly opened up about how the family had been coping following Saul's death, explaining on Live that her children had found it particualrly hard as it was their first experience of loss. "This is the first loss they've ever experienced in their lives. And I said, 'By the time I was 8, I had no grandparents. You got to grow up [with grandparents]. You got to have deep, meaningful conversations [with them].'"
Kelly added that her father-in-law would often come to help her with childcare when Mark was away working. "A lot of times you'd be away working and we would take the show on the road and your dad would come on remotes to take care of the kids so I could go to work," she said.
© ABCShe added that people at school even mistook her father-in-law for her husband. "I remember one year, randomly, [Mark] showed up and they were like, 'Is this your new husband? Because he resembles your old husband.' And I was like, 'No this is my husband, that was my father-in-law.' But everybody assumed for a long time because my father-in-law was my husband. Because in New York, it's not unusual. It's pretty common. He was the average age range of all the dads."
© Getty ImagesMark was able to say goodbye to his dad during rehearsals for his Broadway show, Fallen Angels. He added that the play has been a good distraction for him during the past few weeks.
"I knew I had to keep on going. I've had such a good time doing [the play]. And I know he's there watching and he's able to be part of that," he told the audience.
Along with Michael, 28, Kelly and Mark are doting parents to children Lola, 24, and Joaquin, 22. The couple are now trying to convince Mark's mother, Camilla, to move to NYC to be close to the family.
Mark told viewers on Live: "We've got to take care of mom. We're trying to convince my mom to move to New York. She's such a character, she's stubborn. What do you think, a cooking segment here on Fridays with Camilla?" Kelly replied: "Yeah! Cooking with Camilla! Put her to work! Enough of this life of leisure!"
