‘Today we celebrate you’: The late Ray Liotta honoured by his fiancée on what would have been his 68th birthday

Late Goodfellas star Ray Liotta’s fiancée Jacy Nittolo has taken a moment to remember her partner on what would have been his 68th birthday.

On Sunday, December 18, a grieving Nittolo took to Instagram to mark the beloved actor’s birthday with a slideshow of photos of them and their children, set to the sound of In My Life by The Beatles.

“The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will,” she quotes Fight Club author Chuck Plahniuk at the start of her caption.

“Today, Ray would have been 68,” Nittolo, 48, continued.

“I believe he created a lot for everyone that will live on forever, especially in the hearts of Ray’s sister Linda, his daughter Karsen and myself. Today we celebrate you.”

 

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A post shared by Jacy Nittolo (@jacynittolo)

Nittolo’s post was met with an abundance of love and heartwarming messages from her followers and fans of Liotta.

“Truer words have never been spoken. So he’ll indeed live forever. Happy Birthday, Ray,” wrote Bob Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo.

“What a beautiful tribute from the love of Ray’s life. Thank you for making him so very happy and caring for the other love of his life,” added another.

“I am still in disbelief about this and I constantly think about you and keep you and your family in my prayers for the pain to fade away and be immediately replaced with laughter and love, just the light that he bestowed upon you and us all. We’re all the ones that were blessed to have had him in any capacity in our lives. Sending you all the love in this world,” commented a third.

Nittolo’s birthday tribute comes a month after she shared an emotional Thanksgiving post, detailing her grief and the difficulty of life “without Ray”.

 

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“I’ve been without Ray for almost 6 months now. Most days are unbearable. I find it hard to breathe without him,” Nittolo wrote.

“Today and everyday I am so thankful for the memories he gave me. They were the best years of my life.

“I’m thankful for my family and children who have been there for me every step of the way. You keep me going.

“I’m thankful for Karsen who laughs and cries with me daily. We are connected for life.

“I’m so grateful for my friends old and new, I don’t know what I would do without your continuous support.

“Even with such enduring pain, I feel blessed and I’m truly thankful.”

Liotta’s sudden passing on May 26, 2002, at the age of 67 shocked both fans and fellow members of the entertainment industry.

Liotta was filming in the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic when he died in his sleep.

According to ABC News, Liotta’s death was confirmed by “an official at the Dominican Republic’s National Forensic Science Institute”.

As news broke of his passing, fans and celebrities alike took to social media to share touching tributes to the late actor.

Liotta was best known for his roles in films including Field of Dreams (1989), Something Wild (1986), The Rat Pack (1989), Killing Them Softly (2012), Wild Hogs (2007), Copland (1997), The Iceman (2012), The Line (2009) and a number of other successful films.