Fans Celebrate and Mourn Della Reese on Social Media

After stealing America's hearts with her role as supervising angel Tess in CBS' Touched By an [...]

By Libby Birk

After stealing America's hearts with her role as supervising angel Tess in CBS' Touched By an Angel, Della Reese died Sunday evening at age 86.

"On behalf of her husband, Franklin Lett, and all her friends and family, I share with you the news that our beloved Della Reese has passed away peacefully at her California home last evening surrounded by love," her costar Roma Downey told PEOPLE. "She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning actress and singer. Through her life and work she touched and inspired the lives of millions of people."

Social media reflected the emotional meltdown many fans are feeling at the loss of their favorite Emmy-winning angel.

While her claim to faim was Angel, Reese was also known as a chart-topping singer ("Don't You Know"), talk show host and the first African-American woman to guest host The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.

She also booked gigs performing on Chico and the Man, It Takes Two and Room 222. She held many people's hearts for her iconic scene opposite Eddie Murphy in the 1989 film Harlem Nights.

See social media's reaction to the loss of Della Reese.

Della Reese dead: 'Today is not shaping up to the best of days'

Former NAACP president Cornell William Brooks said that Reese's voice echoed the "cacophony of life."

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Della Reese dead: 'Harlem Nights'

Others chose to remember her for her iconic Harlem Nights scene.

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Della Reese dead: 'Touched By an Angel'

Most people took to Twitter to remember Reese from her career-defining role on the spiritual drama Touched By an Angel.

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Della Reese dead: 'An auntie to us all'

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