Richard Lewis was the king of comic kvetching and self-deprecating humor

My stomach dropped and I audibly gasped when I read that Richard Lewis died at 76 after suffering a heart attack.

That just wasn’t supposed to happen, not now, even for someone like Richard, who was in ill health for several years — but at least it was peaceful, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham of Jonas Public Relations.

Richard “passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night [Tuesday] after suffering a heart attack,” Abraham said in a statement to The Post. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time.”

I had such a nice interaction with the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” legend several years back when I was researching my biography of Don Rickles, with whom Richard co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom “Daddy Dearest” in 1993.

Richard, who was in a world of pain, agreed to be interviewed for the book (Jeff Abraham set it up) and he put aside his discomfort after a particularly rough surgery — one of three he was to have — to spend what turned out to be over an hour on the phone with me, peppering his recollections of working with Rickles with his patented complaining about his condition which, in this instance, wasn’t part of his shtick. He was hurting, but he was Richard — a real pro. I liked him instantly.

I was impressed when he kept asking me, “What else do you want to know?” or “What else can I tell you?” as he delved into the history of “Daddy Dearest” and his memories of Rickles with relish, aplomb and humor, remembering details from the beginning of the show that helped put it all in perspective.