Kevin Smith is mourning the death of his mother

Alongside a carousel of family photographs, Kevin wrote on Instagram: "The bill for 55 years of unconditional love came due on December 1st, and the costly price was having to watch the strongest person I've ever known - my absolute favorite person in the world - exit the stage after a lifetime of setting it for her children. My Mom is gone. At 8:34 last night, Grace V. Smith - the first person I ever loved - took her last breath.

"The matriarch of 21 Jackson Street was born and raised in the Ironbound section of Newark - which made her a strong woman with a stronger heart that had a tendency to put everyone else first. She was adopted by my Grandparents when she was just an infant and raised Catholic. After high school, she trained to be a secretary and worked at Prudential for a minute before meeting some goofy guy at a bowling alley.

"Two years later, she married that pin-striker named Don Smith. The newlyweds moved to an apartment in Kearny in 1965 and welcomed their first child, Virginia. Grace's parents had a small summer bungalow in the seaside town of Highlands, and while visiting them with baby Virginia, Grace and Don discovered a house for sale around the block. The young couple from North Jersey purchased their piece of paradise down the shore for all of thirteen thousand dollars in 1966 (with a 20 year mortgage) and then welcomed their first (and best) son, Donald. The four Smiths would live happily ever after... until four years later, when their youngest son, Kevin, was born on his brother Don's birthday in 1970, barging in and declaring himself the star of the show.

"But the real star was always Amazing Grace - Momily, The Mother of All Mothers. (sic)"

Kevin likened his mom to a "lioness", observing that she was "fiercely protective of her pride".

The Hollywood star wrote: "She was a lioness, fiercely protective of her pride, who lived for her kids - so there's never been a day in my life when I didn't know in my bones that I was valued as human being, cherished as a child, and deeply loved beyond reason. My Mom made me feel like I mattered - to our family, to the world, and especially to her. (sic)"