Veteran movie star Tony Ganios left his fans in mourning this past weekend when he passed away at the age of 64. 

As Fox News reported, Ganios' death came on Sunday, just one day after he underwent an emergency four-hour spinal cord operation.

Widow calls says late husband was "my heart, my soul and my best friend"

Ganios is survived by his wife, Amanda Ganios, who confirmed her husband's passing in a statement provided to the network.

"I just love him so much. I don't know how else I can express it," Mrs. Ganios said, explaining that while her husband's surgery was a success, he had to be placed on dialysis the next morning and ultimately went into cardiac arrest.

She expressed similar sentiments in a social media post, writing, "The last words we said to each other were 'I love you.' Love is an understatement. You are everything to me. My heart, my soul and my best friend. I love you [Tony Ganios]."

Fox News noted that Ganios is most widely remembered for his portrayal of Meat Tuperello in the 1981 adult comedy "Porky's."

He went on to again play the character in "Porky's II: The Next Day" as well as "Porky's Revenge!" Ganios other film credits include "The Wanderers," "Continental Divide," "Back Roads," and "Die Hard 2."

Fans continued to support Ganios even after his retirement

While Ganios also appeared on several television shows, he chose to retire from performing three decades ago, a decision he discussed in 2015 with the website Cult Faction.

"It’s a strange thing. While I did miss acting, I didn't miss the entertainment industry or most of the people in it," Ganios recalled.

"But as time went by, I would constantly run into fans who were genuinely disappointed to know that I had quit the business," he continued.

"Their votes of confidence notwithstanding, I think few of my friends and fans realized how difficult it would be for me to get back into an industry where I was hardly successful in the first place," Ganios went on to add.

Fellow actor laments Ganios's death

News of Ganios's passing was quickly met with online tributes, including from actress and social media personality Jessica Levesque.

😢very saddened to hear the loss of one of my favorite actors Tony Ganios from the porky films& other projects. My dream was to actually meet him ❤️ my thoughts are with him, his friends and family . 🤍 he will be missed very much, but never forgotten .❤️💕 #tonyganios #porkys pic.twitter.com/Xw0tQXwSkP

— Jessica L (Trixie J) (@xxjessabugxx) February 20, 2024

"My dream was to actually meet him," Levesque said. "My thoughts are with him, his friends and family. He will be missed very much, but never forgotten."