How Bobby Zarin's Funeral Brought The 'RHONY' Stars Together In A Beautiful Way

Any viewers of Real Housewives Of New York (or any other franchise, for that matter), has probably seen some really ugly fights between the women on the show. In order to get a good storyline or more screen time during a season, some feel it necessary to go for the jugular. Real Housewives Of New York has seen nearly all of the original-cast women on the show fight with former cast member Jill Zarin, but when Jill’s husband, Bobby, died in January 2018, cast members old and new rallied together to show their support. Bethenny, Ramona, and others attended Bobby’s funeral on Real Housewives Of New York, and it was a really nice moment.

In Season 3 of Real Housewives Of New York, cracks began to appear in Bethenny and Jill’s relationship. Bethenny’s star was rising and Jill felt that Bethenny couldn’t be bothered to wish Bobby good luck on his recent thyroid cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments. PEOPLE reported that, though Bobby beat that thyroid cancer initially, it returned four years later and eventually settled in his lungs. According to CNN, Bobby finally succumbed to the disease in January 2018 at age 71, leaving behind his wife, Jill; his stepdaughter, Ally; and three children from a previous marriage.

Those long-time viewers like me will remember that the relationships between Jill and the rest of the Housewives on Real Housewives Of New York was downright frosty when it came to the end of Season 3 (this is when Bethenny left for her own spinoff, and things with Jill quieted just a smidge). Frankly, everyone was sick of Jill’s attention-hogging ways, and they kept their distance from her. Now in Season 10, previews for the June 13 episode of Real Housewives Of New York show that bygones are indeed bygones — Ramona is speaking fondly of Bobby, and Jill and Bethenny are crying together standing outside his memorial service. It really shows that the series is artifice — when something truly bad happens, the Housewives are there for their own. PEOPLE reported that Bethenny, Sonja, Dorinda, and former Housewife Aviva Drescher were at Bobby’s memorial, so future footage will definitely reflect that.

Following Bobby’s passing, Bethenny let off a series of tweets commemorating the man, including the information that Bobby was the one who recommended Bethenny to be a Housewife in the first place.

As for Jill, she’s trying to move on. She told Page Six that although she has quite a bit of support following Bobby’s death, it “doesn’t fill the hole” that she feels since his passing. She told PEOPLE:

"I don’t know what I’m going to do without him because he always made sure I didn’t forget anything. He would always close the cabinets or the refrigerator … he always finished everything I started. I need some time alone without the pressure of a fast pace right now. I need to slow down and follow my heart. That’s what Bobby would want for me. Playing tennis and golf, being with my parents and very close friends is what brings me the most happiness right now. One day at a time."

According to Bravo, Jill has made her return to Zarin Fabrics, the family company Jill shared with her husband. She's always taken a few trips around the world with her daughter, Ally, and it seems like she's truly savoring their time together — life is short, as Jill has learned, and one must live it to the fullest. That's what Bobby would have wanted for Jill and Ally. As Jill and Ally both heal from Bobby's death, it's wonderful that Bethenny, Ramona, and the other women of Real Housewives Of New York are able to support Jill in her trying time.