Wendy Madison Bauer was by Luke Perry's side when he died on March 4.
Luke Perry's fiancee is mourning the death of her late love, remembering him as an "extraordinary man."
“The past 11½ years with Luke were the happiest years of my life, and I am grateful to have had that time with him,” Wendy Madison Bauer said in a statement to People published Saturday. “I also want to thank his children, family, and friends for their love and support. We have found comfort in one another and in the knowledge that our lives were touched by an extraordinary man. He will be dearly missed.”
It was the first time Bauer spoke publicly after Perry's death. He died on March 4 at the age of 52, after suffering a massive stroke.
Perry was first married to Rachel Sharp from 1993 to 2003. They had two children together, Sophie and Jack. Sophie had flown from Africa to Los Angeles in her dad's final moments to be with him.
Perry's rep Arnold Robinson had said in a statement that Bauer was also by his side when he died.
"He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, stepfather Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends," Robinson said in a statement.
"The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world," he added.
The "Riverdale" actor was hospitalized just last week after suffering the stroke. Authorities were called to the star’s Sherman Oaks, California, home around 9:40 a.m. on Feb. 27 and Perry was transported to the hospital.
He died Monday morning at St. Joseph's Hospital, according to TMZ. Doctors had reportedly sedated the actor, hoping he would recover from the stroke but he never did, TMZ reported.
Most recently, Perry had starred on the CW drama "Riverdale," playing Fred Andrews, the father of Archie Andrews. He was most known, however, for playing Dylan McKay on "Beverly Hills, 90210" from 1990 to 1995. Perry was rushed to the hospital the same day that Fox announced plans for a six-episode "90210" reboot this summer.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 66 percent of people hospitalized for a stroke in 2009 were over the age of 65.
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