Brittany Murphy, who died suddenly after collapsing in her bathroom last Sunday, was buried during a private ceremony in the Hollywood Hills Thursday. The intimate gathering was “very nice, very respectful,” said longtime family friend and Brittany’s former bandmate Alex Ben Block, who eulogized the actress.

Both a rabbi and a pastor were present at Thursday’s co-denominational funeral service, which was attended by 20-25 mourners at Forest Lawn’s Church of The Hills. A small group of reporters and waited outside the main gates of the cemetery, where luminaries such as Liberace, Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, Gene Autry, John Ritter, and Freddie Prinze are buried.

According to her family, Christmas was Brittany’s favorite holiday and they’ve asked fans wishing to honor the late actress to “light a candle and remember the beautiful angel that entertained, enlightened, and made the world a better place.”

“Today a wife, a daughter, a niece, a cousin, a family member and dear friend to thousands was laid to rest,” the family said in a statement released following the service. “Brittany was an incredibly loving and passionate person and an artist to her core — she loved acting, singing, dancing, and performing. There are no words that can truly express the devastation felt by Brittany’s husband, mother, and everyone who attended the intimate service.”

“A bright light that lit the world is forever dimmed, but will live on in the hearts of those that Brittany touched,” the statement read. “At the funeral, Simon described his loving relationship with Brittany and how she was his best friend and soul mate. He went on to say that mystery is the nature of love, and you never know when or where it will strike or how quickly it will be taken from you. He also said that he knows the closeness and beauty of their love will live on forever,” the family’s statement continued.