Family pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Family pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Though the funeral services for Heath Ledger will remain private, the late actor's relatives have gone public with their expressions of grief. The death notices section of Friday's West Australian newspaper carried two columns of tributes written by Ledger's immediate family.
The 28-year-old late actor's mother, Sally, wrote: "Our darling boy, special in so many ways to all of us. You knew you were so loved. You lived life with courage and daring and we are so grateful for the wonderful times we shared. We will be there for Matilda."
Ledger's older sister, Kate, wrote: "I can hardly breathe when I try to write this. We were the ultimate in soul mates. I feel both my heart and life have been torn apart. I loved our special talks, our daily chats from where ever you were in the world. I especially loved all the precious time we spent together…You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother."
His father, Kim, wrote: "My beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent, so caring, so young . . . no more chess games mate . . . this is it, couldn't beat you anyway! My body aches for the sound of your voice, our chats, our laughs and our life and times together."
The actor's younger sister, Olivia, wrote: "You're my idol, my hero, but most importantly, my loving big brother. I'll treasure every moment we spent together."
A notice signed by the entire family reads: "Your true legacy lives on in beautiful little Matilda, who will always remain in the greatest of care. Our hearts are broken . . . Dad and Ines, Mum and Roger, Kate and Nathan, Rori and Scarlett, Ashleigh, Olivia, Elana and Nadia."
On Friday, members of the late actor's family continued to fly from Australia to New York, where Ledger's body is resting at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan's Upper East Side. E! News reports a private viewing is expecting to take place at the funeral home on Friday. Various media reports suggest he'll be buried in his hometown of Perth, Australia, but the family has declined to comment.
"At this time, we will not be releasing any information," a rep for the late actor said in a statement Friday. "There are no plans for a public service."