Jimmy Kimmel‘s beloved Uncle Frank Potenza died on August 20, 2011. Those familiar with Jimmy’s show have undoubtedly seen the 77-year-old in action.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live show host returned this week after a vacation hiatus. He hit the stage with a heavy heart, telling viewers, “Listen, I’m gonna try to do this without crying, but I’m probably gonna fail. But just turn away or something, because it’s embarrassing. It really is.”
Kimmel paid homage to his uncle, who recently lost his battle with cancer. Jimmy got a laugh when he said that Frank wanted to live to be 103, making him the oldest living retired police officer in New York City — not because he wanted to set a record, he simply wanted to collect another 25 years of pension checks.
Frank had been a steady presence since the show began airing in 2003. Kimmel thanked his co-workers for being so good to him.
Watch the touching memorial below: