US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama today a fitting tribute to the late actor, director and writer Harold Ramis, who died yesterday.

In a statement released on behalf of he and the first lady, Obama said:

Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Harold Ramis, one of America’s greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago’s Second City.

When we watched his movies—from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day—we didn’t just laugh until it hurt. 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.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Harold’s wife, Erica, his children and grandchildren, and all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness.

If that last bit sounds familiar, that’s because it is. It was delivered by Bill Murray in the 1980 classic Caddyshack, which Ramis wrote and directed:

Here’s the full scene:

9 ways Harold Ramis was just bloody brilliant>