Robin Williams shocked the world when he tragically took his own life earlier this year, and it’s been a tremendous loss felt by the entertainment industry at large. But as sad as it is for fans to be forced to say goodbye to one of their favorite actors prematurely, we can’t even begin to imagine how it feels for Robin’s family.

Robin’s oldest son, Zak, spoke with PEOPLE about the huge loss he and his loved ones have suffered. He opened up to the magazine and spoke highly of his father: “I miss him all the time,” he said. “Often I see something or if I’m watching a film, I think, ‘Oh man, he would have appreciated this’ or ‘He would have gotten a laugh out of this.’”

Zak went on to add that the entire family misses Robin: “There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think about our dad.”

Marlo Thomas, who got to know Robin after working with him for 18 years through St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, recounted a particular time when Robin demonstrated his immense ability to connect with the patients: "One of them liked toy soldiers, so Robin sent him his own toy soldiers that he had saved all those years of his childhood. When he came there, it was like magic."

Zak says he honors his father’s incredibly generous spirit by volunteering at a local prison, saying: “It’s through helping others that I’ve begun to heal."

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