Edward Joseph O'Donnell, father of controversial comedian Rosie O'Donnell, died of cancer on Sunday (Aug. 23), according to her publicist's confirmation with E! News. The Emmy-Award winner's father was 81.
For the majority of his career, Edward O'Donnell worked as an electrical engineer for Grunman in Bethpage. He became a single parent to Rosie and his four other childern, after losing their mother to breast cancer in 1973 when Rosie was 11.
"Through him - with him - in him ..." tweeted Rosie Sunday afternoon. The cryptic caption was accompanied by a mural of old photos and the word "hurts." She also posted a piece of rustic-like artwork in the shape of a cross with the caption, "it never really leaves you...the need to believe - love is more than real."
In an earlier tweet, Rosie quoted lyrics from the popular hit single "St. Jude" from Florence + The Machine about learning to deal with death.
"through him - with him - in him ..." pic.twitter.com/0ev1tAmEC2
— Rosie (@Rosie) August 23, 2015
And I'm learning, so I'm leaving And even though I'm grieving I'm trying to find the meaning Let loss reveal it https://t.co/kAOJHt2iMg — Rosie (@Rosie) August 22, 2015
Rosie has been vocal about her tense relationship with her father. In an interview with Piers Morgan in 2012, the comedian spoke openly about her father being subjected to abuse by his own father when he was a child. Despite the demons he faced throughout his life, she loved her dad regardless.
"He had his own issues and demons, he had a very tough childhood, he had an alcoholic, abusive father and never really got the help that I think every person needs when they have lived through that as a child," said the former co-host of The View in the 2012 interview. "I think that he had a lot of problems to deal with. No matter what, at the end of the day, every child loves their dad."
Rosie also recalls her father using television sitcoms as an outlet for the grief he was dealing with after her mother died. The strain between her and her father really became strained during her childhood. In a sense, Rosie felt he checked-out from his parental duties, citing "there was really a lack of interaction with all the children."
The sad new of Edward O'Donnell's passing comes less than a week after the comedian reported her 17-year-old daughter Chelsea missing. Chelsea was later found alive at a friend's home in New Jersey.
