Kirstie Alley's ex-husband Parker Stevenson pays tribute after her death: 'You will be missed'

• Kirstie Alley, best known for her role in the sitcom "Cheers," died at the age of 71 on Monday.
• Her ex-husband Parker Stevenson paid tribute on social media, writing: "You will be missed."

Parker Stevenson has paid tribute to his ex-wife Kirstie Alley following the news of her death.

The Emmy award-winning actor, best known for her roles in the sitcom "Cheers" and film franchise "Look Who's Talking," passed away from cancer on Monday at the age of 71.

Shortly after the news was announced, "The Hardy Boys" star shared on Instagram a photo of himself and Alley at the premiere of her 1988 movie "Shoot to Kill."

Stevenson's touching tribute to his former spouse of 14 years read: "Dear Kirstie, I am so grateful for our years together and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren that we have."

"You will be missed. With love, Parker," he ended the post.

Alley's death was confirmed in a statement released on Twitter by her and Stevenson's children, True and Lillie Parker, who described her as an "incredible, fierce and loving mother."

They did not specify what cancer Alley had, but said it was "only recently discovered".

"She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead," the post read. "As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

The siblings went on to thank the "incredible" team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, for their care and praised Alley's "zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren, and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating."

"We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. With love always, True and Lillie Parker," the statement concluded.

Alley and Stevenson were married between 1983 to 1997. It was Stevenson's first marriage, but Alley's second as she was previously married from 1970 to 1977 to her high-school sweetheart Bob Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father.

Alley and Stevenson welcomed True in 1992 and Lillie in 1995, both via adoption following a devastating miscarriage, according to the late actor's 2012 memoir, "The Art Of Men (I Prefer Mine Al Dente)."

Per Us Weekly, Alley has three grandchildren. She and Stevenson became grandparents for the first time in 2016 when True welcomed his first child, and have since welcomed two more grandchildren.

Representatives for Alley did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.