Ric Ocasek’s estranged wife Paula Porizkova has described how she discovered his body in the bedroom of his New York City townhouse on Sunday.
“I found him still asleep when bringing him his Sunday morning coffee. I touched his cheek to rouse him,” she shared in a message on Instagram. “It was then I realized that during the night he had peacefully passed on.”
The Cars singer had been recuperating from unspecified surgery, Porizkova explained. “Our two sons, Jonathan and Oliver, and I were making sure he was comfortable, ordering food and watching TV together.”
MORE: Ric Ocasek Of The Cars Dies At 75
Porizkova and Ocasek separated in 2017 after 28 years of marriage. Jonathan and Oliver are both in their 20s. Ocasek has four other sons – ranging from 38 to 55 – from his first two marriages.
In a Facebook message attributed to "Ric's sons," they said: "His passing was sudden, unexpected, and beyond heartbreaking."
The New York City Chief Medical Examiner said Monday that Ocasek died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease – heart disease caused by high blood pressure – and pulmonary emphysema. He was 75.
“We appreciate the great outpouring of love,” read the family’s statement. “We, his family and friends, are completely and utterly devastated by his untimely and unexpected death and would appreciate the privacy to mourn in private.”