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Kathy Wakile Remembers Bobby Zarin: "We'll Really Miss Him and His Friendship"

The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum will never forget one night out with Bobby.

By Laura Rosenfeld Feb 21, 2018, 10:01 AM ET

Bethenny Frankel Offers an Update on Jill Zarin After Bobby Zarin’s Passing

Kathy Wakile and her husband, Rich Wakile, were two of the first people to see Bobby Zarin after he was hospitalized due to complications from his battle with thyroid cancer last July. "Thank you @kathywakile and Richie for taking us out last night for Bobby's first real meal in 5 weeks," his wife, Jill Zarin, captioned a photo of the couples on their night out last August.

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Kathy remembered how impressed she was with Bobby's strength that night amid his ongoing health battle. "When he was starting to decline in health, we went and popped in and we wanted to visit him. And he surprised us. We thought he was really sick, and he was really sick, but he made the effort, he came out, we had dinner in New York. And he was wonderful," she shared about that memorable moment with Bobby and Jill when The Daily Dish caught up with her in New York earlier this month. "I like to remember him that way because he really always made everyone feel so comfortable. It was about him, it was about everyone else's comfort. We'll really miss him and his friendship."

Thank you @kathywakile and Richie for taking us out last night for Bobby's first real meal in 5 weeks. His recovery is nothing short of miraculous. Bobby's will to live and love, incredible Doctors, @melissamcmedium , YOUR PRAYERS around the World!!and @novartis #novartis Chemo pills I don't think Bobby would have ever left the hospital .Thank you to our family and friends who have shown up everyday to help, give a kiss, bring food or send pajamas. My heart is filled with such emotion everyday it's hard to express. From the initial shock to the new "normal" it's been the most emotional time in our lives and couldn't have gotten to where we are without help from many. I wake up everyday now so grateful to see Bobby getting stronger. I'll give another update soon but wanted to share that it is never too late and you have to Live to Live!!
A post shared by Jill Zarin (@mrsjillzarin) on Aug 6, 2017 at 5:00am PDT

Bobby sadly passed away at the age of 71, five months after that night, on January 13, following his battle with cancer. He was laid to rest on January 15.

Kathy said that she will always remember that whenever she was around Bobby, she didn't just feel like a friend to him; she felt like family. "Knowing Bobby Zarin has always been a great pleasure to Rich and I because he really treated you like you were family from when you meet him. What you saw was what you'd get," she shared. "The thing that resonated the most with us was how much he really adored Jill. And anything that she wanted he would do to make her happy. And so when you're at Bobby and Jill Zarin's house, you felt like you belonged there and you were with a great friend."

Jill Zarin Opens Up About the Housewives Who Have Supported Her Following Bobby Zarin's Passing

The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum told The Daily Dish that she has lent her support to Jill since Bobby's passing, both in person and over the phone. She said she hopes that she and Jill can catch up again in person, along with their good friend, The Real Housewives of Miami's Marysol Patton, when they're all in Florida next. "I'm sure that she and I and Marysol will have some plans together and just spend some time together and love each other, that's all," Kathy said. "We connected through The Real Housewives, but then we've maintained [being] friends outside of it, and we're very intwined in each other's lives."

In addition to Kathy, since Bobby's passing, many of Jill's fellow Housewives have come out to support her, including Ramona Singer, Vicki Gunvalson, Melissa Gorga, Cynthia Bailey, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Aviva Drescher, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Danielle Staub, and even Bethenny Frankel.