Last Friday, I was working from home and heard my phone buzz with several texts and a call all within five minutes of each other.

In my gut, I had a feeling that whatever the messages were weren’t good.

Friends were reaching out about the breaking news that Catherine O’Hara had passed away. All being huge “Schitt’s Creek” fans, we were sad to learn the comedy icon was gone.

Like most in my generation, my introduction to O’Hara was in the Christmas classic, “Home Alone.” As a kid, I was more focused on the antics of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin, and it wasn’t until later in life that I was able to appreciate the more subtle humor from the non-child actors like O’Hara and John Candy.

It wasn’t until I discovered Christopher Guest’s film catalog that my eyes were opened to the comedic genius of Catherine O’Hara. From “Best in Show” to “A Mighty Wind” and beyond, she had an ability to create characters that were somewhat off the wall, but still relatable.

From there, I sought out more of her work with the likes of Eugene Levy and Candy and learned about “SCTV.”

I knew they had all studied at the Toronto Second City, but didn’t know there was a “Saturday Night Live”-style show as they were all coming up.

This laid the groundwork for O’Hara’s years long working relationship with Levy, which culminated with the six-season series “Schitt’s Creek,” where O’Hara developed the character of a lifetime in the form of Moira Rose.

As funny as the character was written, it’s obvious that it’s O’Hara’s vigor and approach to comedy made Moira such a standout. With her one-of-a-kind accent, thesaurus-grade vocabulary and her delivery, every delivered line is like a masterclass in comedy.

Prior to the show’s final season, O’Hara and her cast mates did a live tour where they talked about the show and what makes it so unique. Getting to be in the same room as her brilliance was captivating. The best I can describe her is like a down-to-earth friend with incredible timing.

Towards the end of the show, she and Levy sang “God Loves a Terrier” from “Best in Show.” It was a special moment that showcased their friendship and chemistry.

Though of course I didn’t know her personally, I can say that my life is better because of her work and her existence. And I know that I’ll continue to enjoy her work for years to come.

· Taylor Leddin-McMaster can be contacted at taylorleddin@gmail.com.