A private funeral for Richard Simmons was held Friday in Los Angeles nearly a week after his death.
“Our beloved Dicky was laid to rest this morning surrounded by only family and closest friends,” his older brother, Lenny Simmons, told People in a statement provided by his longtime publicist, Tom Estey.
“We pray for your continued love and support during this very difficult time.”
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Lenny asked his late siblings’s fans to “remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives,” going on to say that Richard “truly cared about people,” as “he called, wrote and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help.”
“So don’t be sad,” Lenny urged. “Celebrate his life.”
According to TMZ, the legendary fitness guru was buried at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary.
The outlet obtained his death certificate, which does not list a manner of death. Instead, it notes that the manner of death is still pending an investigation.
The death certificate also refers to Richard as a “health motivator” and states that he was a bachelor at the time of his passing, as he was never married.
Richard reportedly described feeling dizzy before he fell in his bathroom last Friday, which happened to be his 76th birthday.
Per TMZ, his housekeeper helped him up and tried to get him medical attention immediately, but he refused because he wanted to stay home on his birthday.
He reportedly told his housekeeper that he would maybe see a doctor the next day before she helped him back to bed.
Around 10 a.m. on Saturday, the housekeeper reportedly found the aerobics instructor unresponsive on the floor next to his bed.
According to TMZ, Richard showed no obvious or external signs of injury — including bumps, bruises or bleeding — following the fall.
The New Orleans native was pronounced dead on the scene, and there were reportedly no signs of foul play.
Richard said he felt “good” and was “grateful” to be “alive” in a rare interview published just one day before his passing.
In March, he revealed he was diagnosed with and treated for skin cancer “so many years ago.”
