PETER BOYLE

BRAD GARRETT and DORIS ROBERTS who played Boyle's son and wife respectively in TV hit EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND have paid tribute to the 71-year-old actor, who died on Tuesday night (12DEC06) after a long battle with heart disease and cancer.

Garrett, 46, says, "I think of Peter and I smile. I laugh and I think about what I learned from him as an actor and a human being. He was a compassionate man and a great dad.

"I knew that he was ill but he was strong and he fought it. He's in a better place where he won't be suffering."

Roberts, 76, adds, "He was quite ill, so it was not a surprise.

"When you work with someone for almost a decade it's like family. He was my great buddy. We loved him."

Source: WENN