Joan Rivers was a funny lady, plain and simple. She was a fierce, vibrant, self-deprecating, brilliant comedienne who was a true comedy pioneer, paving the way for generations of female comics.

Rivers passed away today, one week after suffering cardiac arrest during a routine procedure on her vocal chords. She was surrounded by her family and friends, as revealed by her daughter Melissa Rivers, who issued the following statement:

“She passed peacefully at 1:17 p.m. surrounded by family and close friends. My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother. Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated. My mother’s greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon.”

Although Rivers' career did include some movie roles (her most memorable silver screen contribution is playing Dot Matrix in Spaceballs), she is best known as a stand-up comedienne performing both on TV and in nightclubs all over the world. For the past two decades Rivers has been most closely associated with her over-the-top fashion critiques of red-carpet award ceremonies, which were great entertainment even if you didn't care a bit about actual fashion.

For a true look at the woman behind the laughter, be sure to see the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. It offers an in-depth look at just how fearless she was throughout her career, which had as many highs as it did lows. Most recently, her episode of Louie proved to be a poignant and brave chapter to a brilliant career, as well as a fitting send-off for one of the funniest, toughest ladies show business has ever known.

For a great example of just how brash but sincere Joan Rivers could be, here she is scolding Oprah for gaining weight.