As with any son who shares a close bond with his mother, John Stamos was devastated when he lost his mother. Three years after Loretta’s death, John wrote a letter in her honor. In the letter, the 57-year-old actor explained how he found a note she left for John.
She designed it knowing that her time would soon be up. He said, “Life is fair. Come up to him. Don’t be sad because I died, be happy because I lived. I had a wonderful life.”
Loretta Donna Stamos (née Phillips) was born on April 8, 1939 in Los Angeles. She grew up in England where she worked as a model. Later, she met the man she was to marry, John’s father, a Greek restaurateur named Bill Stamos.
“Your whole life has been completely selfless,” wrote John, Loretta’s only son. “Those sparkling hazel eyes have always sought the good in people.”
John, who is surprisingly handsome, apparently inherited those “sparkling hazel eyes” from her. When Loretta died, Jon resurrected her in an Instagram post with a black and white photo of the two when Jon was a baby. Her comment read: “The love of my life passed away yesterday in her home surrounded by her children and grandchildren. My mother had enough love to fuel a small country. She was truly unique and will live forever in the hearts of all who knew her. A few weeks ago, my mother asked me if she remembered an unimportant event – she simply replied, “I only remember love.” #Brokenhearted #Iloveyouthemost
He ended the post by asking those who wanted support to donate to the charity Loretta founded, the Vanguard Cancer Foundation.
It’s easy to see from this Instagram photo that he not only caught his mom’s attention, but also his thick hair! His hair may be thick, but he didn’t inherit Loretta’s red hair. He also spoke about her in the letter sent to him, saying, “Maybe one day I’ll have a baby or two, and maybe they’ll have red hair like yours ( although your hair is from a baby bottle).”
John welcomed son Billy Stamos, named after John’s late father, in April 2018.
And while Billy isn’t redheaded either, he has gorgeous hair, just like his dad. If the number of times Stamos talked about his mother on social media or on TV shows that she really was the love of his life. According to AARP, while accepting a Timeless Icon award in 2016 for his role as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital, he wept in praise of his parents during his speech, saying, “I want to thank my parents. They taught me to be kind, to be generous and to love everyone.” You meet him on this journey.”
That same year, John opened up to radio host Howard Stern on his show about his 2015 time in rehab. ‘to have lost my mother’.
This was also evident in John’s letter to Loretta: “And things got even harder after you died,” he wrote. “How could I not? You were the most important thing in my life. I let outside things in and darkened my soul, but it was your strength that got me there. Your voice, your beautiful face, the abundance of your love that always flows deep in my head and certainly in my heart.”
John Stamos 2014 (Theo Wargo/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images)
“I went off the rails over the years. I wasn’t really back on track,” said Jon Lestern. “A part of me is gone…It was a big part of my goal for so many years to be there for her and to be a good son.”
Aside from good looks, John’s character was also shaped by Loretta’s example. He continued in the letter, “Everyone who has spent time with you has left feeling better about themselves. Especially me, Alina and Jenin.
We used to joke with you about it – you were smug or just saying, “Stop, please, mom, come on!” But now I find myself doing it too – being complimentary, likeable, fluid and bringing out the good in people.
