David Cassidy’s actress daughter Katie has vowed never to waste “another minute” with her loved ones following her father’s death on Tuesday (November 21).
Katie Cassidy took to Twitter on Friday (November 24) to reflect on the complicated relationship she shared with The Partridge Family actor/singer, who she had become estranged from in recent years.
David Cassidy died on 21 November 2017.
Thanking fans for their outpouring of condolences, she wrote, “Words cant express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time.”
The Arrow star then revealed David’s heartbreaking final comments, which have inspired Katie to make a promise to her close friends and family.
“My father’s last words were ‘So much wasted time,'” she shared. “This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love as to never waste another minute… Thank you.”
David, who battled dementia, passed away in a Florida hospital, days after he was admitted with kidney failure and in need of a liver transplant.
Katie is the eldest of David’s two children, but he wasn’t involved in her early upbringing after he split from her mother, former model Sherry Williams in the late 1980s.
They grew closer as Katie pursued a career in Hollywood, with David serving as more of a friend than a father.
In 2009, he told People magazine of their unique relationship, “Because I didn’t raise her, I didn’t have to parent her. I’m always here and totally nonjudgmental.”
“To be able to go to someone I’m genetically linked to, tell them anything and know that they’re not going to judge me – it’s unbelievable,” Katie gushed at the time. “It’s nice when your dad can be your friend.”
However, their bond deteriorated and earlier this year (17), David admitted he had lost touch with Katie, now 30.
“I wasn’t her father. I was her biological father but I didn’t raise her. She has a completely different life,” he said. “I’m proud of her. She’s very talented. It’s hard for me to even accept how old she is now.”
David is also survived by his son Beau, from his third marriage to Sue Shifrin.
