Alan Thicke Final Photo: After Suffering Heart Attack, Thicke Gave Thumbs Up And Told His Son To Take A Picture As He Was Being Loaded Into Ambulance

The final photo of Alan Thicke may never be seen to the public, but it apparently displays the showmanship of one of the most beloved television actors of all time.

Thicke died this week at the age of 69, suffering a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter. After suffering the heart attack, Alan Thicke was reportedly still conscious and talking when paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital. The notoriously telegenic Thicke had what ended up being a final request for his son — get a picture of me on the way out.

“On his way out he asked his son to take a picture. He goes, ‘Ah, take a shot, kiddo,’ and he did and off they went,” Darin Mathewson, the ice rink’s vice president, told Us Weekly. “He had Carter take a picture of him, and said, ‘Make sure you get the rink in the background,’ as they were taking him out of here. When he went by us, he gave us the thumbs-up, like, ‘I’m doing good, guys, I’m good.’ ”

While that will likely remain within the family, the final public photo of Alan Thicke before his shocking death on Tuesday showed the actor and his wife sharing a loving moment together, a now heartwarming image of the beloved actor. The picture showed Alan behind the wheel of a car as Tanya looked at him lovingly.

“I’ve got the cutest designated driver EVER!!!” Tanya wrote. “JP & @eloisedejoria sure know how to throw a party! Thx you for having us. #friendsforever #patron #family.”

The Instagram photo of Alan Thicke and Tanya became something of a de facto memorial for fans, many of whom left messages of condolences and offered support to the grieving family.

“So sorry for your loss,” one fan wrote. “Hugs and prayers to you sweet lady and your family. May he Rest In Peace.”

The final photo of Alan Thicke looked like many of the others shared by his wife in recent years, showing a close and loving couple. Just a few days before, Tanya Thicke shared a throwback photo to the family’s 2010 Christmas card, showing their son not taking it terribly seriously.

Tanya also posted many pictures of the couple appearing on the red carpet together and at Alan Thicke’s various acting roles.

The photos showed an active and vibrant Alan Thick, and his constantly growing acting resume reflected that as well. Thick was best known for his role as Dr. Jason Seaver on Growing Pains, earning a place as one of the favorite television dads of all time.

“Mr. Seaver made being a stay-at-home dad the coolest gig in town,” Slice noted. “What don’t you love about that?”

Thicke had a number of recent projects, including appearing in the pilot of this season’s top-rated new show, NBC’s This Is Us. He also made an appearance in the Full House reboot, Fuller House.

Thicke’s work was far ranging — from voicing a character on the animated Mike Tyson Mysteries to his long resume of work behind the camera. Thicke served as a writer and producer on many projects and even wrote some of the most memorable television theme songs of all time. Thicke composed the theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Wheel of Fortune, and close to a dozen others.

And fans sad at seeing the final photo of Alan Thicke can take a bit of comfort in his busy schedule. There will still be a chance to see the beloved actor in his most recent project, a movie called The Clapper that’s set to be released in 2017.

[Featured Image by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Images]