Catherine O’Hara’s deeply moving eulogy for John Candy resurfaces after her death

O'Hara had worked with Candy for several years including the Christmas film Home Alone

As the entertainment world continues to mourn Catherine O’Hara following her death at age 71, many fans and colleagues are revisiting the unforgettable eulogy she delivered for her longtime friend and comedy partner John Candy at his 1994 funeral in Toronto—a tribute that revealed the depth of their bond and O’Hara’s remarkable talent for mixing wit with heartfelt sincerity.

Standing before a grieving crowd, O’Hara began with a humble reflection on her place in Candy’s life: “Who am I to be standing up here talking about John Candy? … I’ll tell you who I am. I’m one of the millions of people whose lives were touched and enriched by the life that was John Candy.” She recounted how their friendship began in 1974, when Candy hired her for the Second City Touring Company, and even joked about her crush on him, noting with a laugh that “he was deeply in love with [his wife, Rose]. So I got to be his friend, and I closed the Chicago bars with him, just to be with him.”

O’Hara celebrated Candy’s generous spirit and creative brilliance, saying, “John knew what he was doing. He was bright and quick and graceful and full of ideas, funny ideas, but he always had room for your ideas too. If you threw John something, anything, he would grab it, run with it, play with it, sparkle with it and toss it back and you’d get to sparkle too.” She fondly recalled their final collaboration on Home Alone, where “he could give them one day, so they took him for 17 hours of improvising. John gave himself so completely to every role, big or small … he really had fun.”

Turning tenderly to the emotional impact of his death— which occurred on her 40th birthday—O’Hara reflected on Candy’s legacy: “I realize when I think of John, it’s not in terms of details … I think of John in terms of the big picture. That is why we mourn our loss, but we treasure it as well.” She continued, “John’s life had meaning. John had principles. He lived by them, he worked by them … he was a protector. He cared. If he felt you’d been wronged in any way, he’d risk everything to make it right … to make you know you were worth something, too.”

O’Hara closed the eulogy with a poignant farewell: “God bless and keep his soul. I will miss him … But I hope and pray to leave this world too someday and to have a place near God — as near as any other soul, with the exception of John Candy.”

The resurfacing of O’Hara’s words has struck a chord across social media and beyond, offering fans a powerful reminder of her brilliant combination of humor and humanity—and the enduring impact of two of comedy’s most cherished figures.