Robert Downey Jr. Pays Emotional Tribute to Late Mother Elsie Ann Ford Downey

Iron Man Robert Downey Jr.'s mother died earlier this week, so he took to his Facebook page to pay tribute to his late mother, Elsie Ann Ford.

The actor had amazing compassion for his mother, even with his rocky childhood. His memories with his mother remain solid and will always be a part of his life.

"My mom passed away early this week," the tribute began. "I wanna say something about her life, and a generic 'obit' won't suffice ..."

This is where Downey laid down an untraditional tribute to his mother, telling readers about his memories of her and her life experiences. Many fans did not know that his mother shared similar dreams as her son, though hers was to become a comedienne.

"In the mid '50s, she dropped out of college and headed to NY, with dreams of becoming a comedienne. In '62, she met my dad, (who proposed at a Yankees/Orioles game). They married, had my sister Allyson in '63 and me in '65 ..."

The Judge star also shared an addiction problem like his mother, who was an alcoholic: "By the mid '70s, the downside of drug culture caught up with many artists. She was an alcoholic ..."

Like Downey, Ford went into a treatment facility to get sober, but the difference is she came out with "heart disease, bypasses, you name it ...," Downey wrote.

She eventually helped him through his rocky 2004 addictions, and when money was right he moved her out to Los Angles, where she became well-bonded with his oldest son Indio.

Her sickness caught up to her, and when Downey returned from filming the Avengers sequel, she was not in the best shape.

"We couldn't speak 'cause she had a tracheal tube. I wondered if she might just beat the odds once more. Another set of seizures answered that, and we brought her home for hospice. She died @ 11 p.m., September 22nd, survived by her extremely loving and tolerant partner of 37 years, Jonas Kerr."

A sad yet amazing tribute to his mother melts the hearts of many.

Missing his mother, he ended his tribute by telling readers who have a mother "and she's not perfect, please call her and say you love her anyway ..."