Why Eddie Van Halens Loved Ones Ordered Pizza After His Death (Exclusive) [Video]

Eddie Van Halen’s family celebrated his life with one of the musician’s favorite foods.

Van Halen died in the hospital, at age 65 in October 2020 from throat cancer, with his ex wife Valerie Bertinelli holding one hand and their son, Wolfgang Van Halen, holding the other.

“I didn’t want to believe it was happening. Even while it was happening, I wasn’t believing it was happening,” Bertinelli, 63, tells PEOPLE for this week’s cover story.

The group, which also included Eddie’s brother Alex, and his two sons, found comfort with one of his favorite foods.

“I forget who suggested it, but we were like, ‘Should we have pizza?’ … Because he couldn’t eat, and the last thing Ed really wanted was pizza,” Bertinelli says. “He loved pizza and burritos, so we had pizza in his hospital room. I hope people don’t think that’s morbid.”

“He knew how much I loved him,” she recalls. …