Harold Ramis’ influence on American comedy was so undeniable that even President Barack Obama had to pay tribute to the late comedy icon. Ramis, who is best known for his roles in shaping American comedy during the 1970s and 1980s, was remembered by the president with a joke from Caddyshack.

In a statement, Obama called Ramis “one of America’s greatest satirists.” The President and the First Lady were “saddened” to hear of his death.

“When we watched his movies – from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day – we didn’t just laugh until it hurt,” the president said. “We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings.”

The White House offered “thoughts and prayers” to Ramis’ widow and their children, as well as “all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness.”

As TheWrap notes, that last line is a reference to one of Bill Murray’s lines in Caddyshack. Ramis wrote and directed the classic comedy.

Ramis died on Tuesday at age 69 from a rare blood vessel disease. His final work was the comedy Year One and he also directed episodes of The Office.

You can check out our list of his best movies and tributes from his colleagues.

image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons