“As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve been sharing,” she wrote.

Phil Donahue dies:Pioneering daytime TV host was 88

Thomas appeared on Donahue’s eponymous talk show in 1977, and it led to immediate sparks. The couple got married three years later on May 21, 1980.

“We went out the very next night and were together from then on,” Thomas told USA TODAY in a 2020 interview. “It’s so interesting. I went on a lot of talk shows in my life. I didn’t fall in love with Johnny Carson, you know?”

Thomas and Donahue even co-wrote a book inspired by their longtime union with 2020’s “What Makes a Marriage Last.”

Stars pay tribute to Phil Donahue:Oprah Winfrey honors ‘pioneer’ broadcaster

“Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends,” Thomas concluded on Instagram. “And I hope that you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip.”