San Francisco

Mourners Leave Messages of Love for Comedian Robin Williams

Makeshift memorials are growing outside the real and stage homes of Robin Williams as mourners in the San Francisco Bay Area gather to remember a comedian whose work shaped the childhoods of many.

Williams, 63, was found dead Monday in what the Marin County Sheriff's Department described as an apparent suicide by asphyxiation. His publicist said he suffered from depression. Marin authorities plan to hold a news conference on his death at 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

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Bob Redell
Fans leave messages of love to the late Robin Williams at a home in San Francisco where he starred in “Mrs. Doubtfire.”

At a home in San Francisco's Pacific Heights on Steiner Street, where Williams starred as father-turned-nanny in "Mrs. Doubtfire," one stranger left a sign: "You taught me that it is okay to feel like I was on the planet." The photo, offset by a candle and a bright sunflower, shows a picture of Williams when he played his first big part - the alien Mork in the 1970s TV smash series "Mork and Mindy."

Less than 30 miles away in the tony town of Tiburon hordes of reporters camped out in front of the bayside home where William lived with his third wife, Susan Schneider. Fans there also left flowers, candles and messages: "You will be missed, Robin."

Cody Queen of Santa Clara said it's just so odd that Williams is gone, because people like him just seem "eternal."

"He's my favorite actor," Queen said. "I grew up watching his movies." If Queen was ever in a bad mood, he'd put on a Williams movie and "all of a sudden you're smiling, you're laughing, you forget about any problems you were having."

In Los Angeles, his star on the Hollywood Hall of Fame was also strewn with notes of love for a man who kept his audience in stitches with his genius and ability to mock people and mimic them with love.

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Josh Keppel

Williams, who acknowledged battling addiction and severe depression throughout his life, was clean for two decades — the longest stretch of his career.

Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams will serve as coaches for season eight of NBC's hit reality show, alongside Blake Shelton and Adam Levine.

Williams returned to rehab last month — this time, he said, not because he'd relapsed again, but because he wanted to make sure his recovery stuck.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: If you know someone who needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline here.

NBC Bay Area Bob Redell and Stephanie Chuang contributed to this report.

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