Sawyer Sweeten's mom says late child star was 'upbeat and loving,' 'a completely amazing boy'

LOS ANGELES, April 29 (UPI) -- Sawyer Sweeten's mother Elizabeth and stepfather Jerry Gini penned a heartfelt tribute to the late actor, which was published on People magazine's website Wednesday.

The former Everybody Loves Raymond child star committed suicide last week. He was 19. In their essay, the Ginis said they saw or spoke to Sawyer daily and regarded him as "a completely amazing boy," someone who wanted to be a veterinarian because he loved caring for animals. They also revealed Sawyer had recently purchased a home with his twin brother and Raymond co-star Sullivan.

"There was not one time that he did not greet us, or really anyone, without a hug. He never said goodbye without an 'I love you,'" Sawyer's family said.

"What happened to our son was not textbook depression. He was happy, upbeat and loving. But in the last week of his life, we saw something happen. It was so rapid in progression that we were caught off-guard," the essay said. "Sawyer was not some tragic Hollywood kid who did drugs or became an alcoholic. He did neither. He was a normal young man who loved his Harley-Davidson, video games, his pets and especially his family. We are grateful that his beautiful personality was shared with so many through his years on television. But to us, he was just our hilarious and sweet son. There is no question how much we loved him."