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Yoko Ono: David Bowie was a 'father figure' to my son after John Lennon died

"It will be hard for him, I know," Ono said of her son Sean on Instagram. "But we have some sweet memories which will stay with us forever."
/ Source: TODAY

Through a Monday post on Instagram, Yoko Ono praised the late David Bowie for being a "father figure" to her son Sean after her husband, John Lennon, died in 1980.

"After John died, David was always there for Sean and me," reads part of a caption paired with a photo of Ono, Bowie and John Lennon. "When Sean was at boarding school in Switzerland, David would pick him up and take him on trips to museums and let Sean hang out at his recording studio in Geneva."

Heralded for his music, artistry, style, acting and indisputable pop-culture influence, Bowie secretly had been battling cancer for 18 months before passing away Sunday at age 69.

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Decades earlier, Ono and the Beatles singer-songwriter bonded with Bowie.

"John and David respected each other," her statement reads. "They were well matched in intellect and talent. As John and I had very few friends we felt David was as close as family."

As difficult as this loss is for Ono, it may be even tougher on her son, a fellow musician.

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"For Sean this is losing another father figure," Ono, 82, stated. "It will be hard for him, I know. But we have some sweet memories which will stay with us forever."

Sean Ono Lennon, 40, echoed these sentiments Monday with his own Instagram tribute.

"Absolutely devastating news," reads Sean's caption, accompanied by a black-and-white photo of Bowie. "I feel so lucky to have considered you a friend. R.I.P. Thank you for everything."

Follow TODAY.com writer Chris Serico on Twitter.