The love story of Richard Lewis and Joyce Lapinsky dates back over two decades. The two met at an album release party hosted by Beatles alum Ringo Starr, and they quickly hit it off. “It triggered what she calls ‘the snake dance.’ I might as well have been a 9-year-old. I was putting on a show for this woman,” Lewis recalled of their first interaction in an interview with Observer in 2007. Soon enough, the two began dating, and by the mid-2000s, they were ready to tie the knot. Lapinsky and Lewis married in 2005, remaining together until his death.

Of course, the positive impact of Lapinsky on Lewis isn’t something the actor alone has attested to. Even those around him noticed how perfect of a fit they were. “Joyce has such a stabilizing effect on him. Everybody is looking for that one person in life who will love you unconditionally, and he’s found that with her,” Susie Essman, the actor behind Susie Greene on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” said. Still, she joked that he remained as miserable as ever despite their strong romance.

All in all, it seems that Joyce Lapinsky couldn’t have been a more perfect match for Richard Lewis throughout their 26 years together. May he rest in peace.