Comedian Martin Short has opened up about the death of his wife, Nancy Dolman, sharing the poignant message he told his children at the time.
Dolman, a Canadian comedic actor and singer, died of ovarian cancer in 2010 at the age of 58.
Short, 74, has branded the time "absolutely horrible," saying he "didn't want to forget" his other half after 36 years together.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Short discussed Dolman's death and the George Eliot quote that was particularly important to him.
"It was absolutely horrible, obviously, and as sad as anything," he told the outlet, adding, "I will tell you what I said to my kids at the time: 'I believe Mom has zoomed into our souls.'"
He continued, mentioning the George Eliot quote he also shared with his children at the time: "I wrote it down somewhere. I have a thing where I keep a list of things that I forget, like people's names. Morgan Freeman was on it for a while. I'd be getting a massage and forget his name.
"Here it is. George Eliot said, 'Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them.' We were together for 36 years. I didn't want to forget Nancy."
The pair met in the 1970s when Dolman joined the Toronto Godspell production Short was in, and they married in 1980.
They went on to adopt three children—social worker Katherine, 40; producer Oliver, 38; and veterinary assistant Henry, 35—and Dolman retired from show business in 1985.
While promoting his 2014 memoir, I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, Short addressed his wife's request when she knew she was "losing this battle."
Speaking on The Meredith Vieira Show, he recalled a moment with his kids at the family's cottage following their mother's death.
He said of Dolman: "She once said to me: 'I don't want a funeral, and I don't want a memorial. Throw a party, or not.'"
"So I just followed her wishes. We went up. We had a party with all family—about 30 close friends and family," he continued.
Short added: "The kids and I went into a boat. We sprinkled the ashes in the water, and we jumped into the ashes."
During his recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Short briefly touched on the romance rumors between him and Meryl Streep, his Only Murders in the Building co-star.
He confirmed that they were just friends before discussing the fourth season of the Hulu whodunit, which is set to premiere on Tuesday.
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