Valerie Harper Laid to Rest in Los Angeles Following Long Battle With Cancer

Valerie Harper’s loved ones gathered to pay tribute to the television icon one last time Saturday at her emotional funeral service. The Mary Tyler Moore Show star was laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles near the graves of late Hollywood legends Mickey Rooney and Chris Cornell.

PEOPLE reported the event gathered many prominent names in the industry, including director James L. Brooks, actor Elliott Gould and actress Frances Fisher. The outlet reports the service had moments of tears and some laughs as the crowd honored Harper’s legacy.

Cristina Cacciotti’s words about her mother, reminiscing on her incredible strength throughout her lengthy cancer battle, was a highlight of the event.

“I don’t have balls, I have steel ovaries,” Cacciotti remembered her mother saying. Other speakers also recounted Harper’s lifelong acts of charity and political activism.

Harper died on Aug. 30 at the age of 80 after years battling various health problems, including leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, lung cancer and brain cancer. The Rhoda star was diagnosed with the condition in 2013, four years after she beat lung cancer in 2009, which occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain, known as the meninges.

After news broke of her passing, Cacciotti broke her silence on social media, sharing a statement from her father, Tony Cacciotti, on her Twitter.

“My dad has asked me to pass on this message: ‘My beautiful caring wife of nearly 40 years has passed away at 10:06 a.m., after years of fighting cancer,’” Cristina wrote at the time. “She will never, ever be forgotten. Rest In Peace, mia Valeria. — Anthony.”

Ed Asner, who also co-starred on The Mary Tyler Moore, honored Harper in a tweet and a statement to PEOPLE.

“Valerie was a brilliant artist with a myriad of ideas on how to make the character more interesting; and was a fighter for those less fortunate,” Asner, 89, told the outlet.

“A beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, a great friend and with balls bigger than mine. Her brilliance burst through and shined its light upon all of us. Goodnight beautiful. I’ll see you soon,” Asner added on Twitter at the time.

Gavin MacLeod also released a statement on Harper’s passing: “My life has been so enriched by having the experience of working with Valerie and calling her a friend. In 1970, when a group of actors, producers and writers gathered together to read the Mary Tyler Moore show pilot. Val although she was unknown at that time, we all realized a talented, gifted actress had appeared.”