Tina Fey pays tribute to late father: ‘The Republican Party should have tried to clone him’

Tina Fey honored her father, Donald H. Fey, in a touching tribute following his recent death.

The “30 Rock” star released a statement to Philly.com remembering the war veteran and fundraising writer as “a great dad and a talented artist and writer.”

“I also think of him as a Great American — he served his country in Korea, he served his city as a fireman, he took his kids regularly to art museums and historical sites,” the Golden Globe winner said.

“When he taught me how to play baseball, he would say to me, ‘If you throw like a girl again, we’re going in.’ (I took it in the spirit it was intended.),” the 45-year-old “Saturday Night Live” alum wrote. “He read poetry and history and newspapers. He was an informed patriot. The Republican Party should have tried to clone him.”

Donald Fey died of heart failure on Oct. 18, the site said. He was 82. Private services were held for him on Friday. His son, Peter, read two poems written by the West Philadelphia native during the services.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, his son and daughter, as well as a sister, two brothers and three grandchildren.

In the TV star’s 2011 memoir, “Bossypants,” she dedicated a chapter to her dad, “That’s Don Fey,” in which she extolled on the virtues of her father, who contributed to raising her as “an achievement-oriented, obedient, drug-free, virgin adult.”

“My dad has visited me at work over the years, and I’ve noticed that powerful men react to him in a weird way. They ‘stand down.’ The first time [‘SNL’ executive producer] Lorne Michaels met my dad, he said afterward, ‘Your father is... impressive. They meet Don Fey and it rearranges something in their brain about me,” she wrote. “[’30 Rock’ costar] Alec Baldwin took a long look at him and gave him a firm handshake. ‘This is your dad, huh?’

“What are they realizing? I wonder. That they’d better never mess with me, or Don Fey will yell at them? That I have high expectations for the men in my life because I have a strong father figure?. Only [‘SNL’ writer] Colin Quinn was direct about it. ‘Your father doesn’t [expletive] play games. You would never come home with a shamrock tattoo in that house.’ That’s Don Fey.”

Fey’s publicist did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad.