A mourning Tina Fey shared a sweet tribute remembering her late father, Donald Fey, who passed away on Oct. 18, at age 82. The 30 Rock creator, who was born and raised in the Philly suburbs, opened up to The Philadelphia Inquirer about her late father's profound influence on her life.
"He was a great dad and a talented artist and writer," Fey, 45, told the paper. "But I also think of him as a Great American — he served his country in Korea, he served his city as a fireman, he took his kids regularly to art museums and historical sites."
She will forever hold on to the memories from her childhood, too. "When he taught me how to play baseball he would say to me, 'If you throw like a girl again, we're going in,'" the actress joked. "(I took it in the spirit it was intended.) He read poetry and history and newspapers. He was an informed patriot. The Republican Party should have tried to clone him."
Fey's brother, Peter, also spoke affectionately about their father. "He was a great painter, and we read two of his poems at the funeral service," he revealed. "He was very dapper, loved learning, and showed us how to expand our horizons and how to live a life properly."
Funeral services for Donald — a former firefighter, writer, and Korean War veteran — were held this past Friday, Oct. 23. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and their kids, Tina and Peter, and three grandkids.
