This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Robin Williams was remembered Monday as a comic genius, an inspiration and a mentor to comedians from the Comedy Store to the Hollywood Improv to the Laugh Factory.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez credited Williams with changing his life by pushing him to get on stage at the Comedy Store in the early 80s.

“So many of us owe him so much,” a tearful Rodriguez said.

Williams was as natural who defied description, according to the Hollywood Improv’s Budd Friedman.

“He didn’t fit in any category, not at all,” Friedman said. “He still doesn’t.”