Kate Spade's grieving husband Andy Spade reunited with close family and friends on Thursday as he prepared for his wife's funeral.

The widower of the famed fashion designer was seen talking on the phone outside Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on the upper east side, presumably making arrangements.

The funeral parlor is known to have orchestrated services for dozens of celebrities over the years, including John Lennon, Jackie Kennedy, Heath Ledger, and fellow designer L'Wren Scott.

Earlier today, Spade was spotted returning to his Park Avenue apartment accompanied by his mother Judith and close friend Oberon Sinclair.

His niece, actress Rachel Brosnahan and her father, Kate's brother Earl Bronsnahan were also seen heading into his apartment this morning.

Spade was no longer wearing a mask and appeared downcast as he walked into his building flanked by his mother.

The 55-year-old had stepped out of his home sporting a yellow backpack and a bizarre mask of cartoon mouse Bernard from the children's film The Rescuers.

He did not respond to questions from reporters and dodged photographers as he got into a black SUV.

The NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined her official cause of death as suicide by hanging this morning.

Andy Spade was seen speaking on the phone outside of Frank E. Campbell funeral home in the Upper East Side. The funeral parlor has held services for dozens of celebrities over the years

The husband of the late fashion designer was spotted going in and out of his Park Avenue apartment on Thursday and reunited with his close friends and family. Details of Kate Spade's funeral have not been released

Andy and co-founder of Kate Spade Elyce Arons stepped out in NYC on Thursday afternoon

Kate's close friends and family have been seen going in and out of Spade's apartment after her official cause of death was revealed

Spade appeared to have changed his clothes after ditching his backpack and the mouse mask

He was seen returning to his apartment in NYC on Thursday afternoon accompanied by his mother Judith Spade and close friend Oberon Sinclair (right)

Spade returned home sporting the same yellow backpack he had stepped out with but was not wearing a mask this time

The Spade family gathered at Andy's apartment after the NYC Medical Examiner's Office determined official cause of death as a suicide by hanging

The 55-year-old grieving husband of Kate Spade appeared downcast as he was flanked by his mother (center) as they headed into his Park Ave apartment

Oberon Sinclair, model Helena Christensen and Kate Spade are pictured at the Kate & Andy Spade and Punch Hutton of Vanity Fair Celebrate the Launch of Slim Aarons in 2005

Frank E Campbell - The funeral home to the stars, where Heath Ledger, John Lennon, Judy Garland and Biggie Smalls were all memorialized after their deaths Frank E Campbell funeral chapel orchestrated services for dozens of celebrities over the years - and is known by many as a funeral home to the stars. Among those who have had their services organized chapel are Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heath Ledger and L'Wren Scott. The home has also arranged funerals for comedian Joan Rivers, actors James Cagney, Greta Garbo, and Joan Crawford, composers Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky and John Lennon, rapper Biggie Smalls and muppeteer Jim Henson. Frank E Campbell funeral chapel orchestrated services for dozens of celebrities over the years - and is known by many as a funeral home to the stars Founder Frank Campbell, born in Illinois in July 1972, was trained to make caskets at an undertakers shop before he moved to New York, aged 20. He worked in funeral parlors and soon opened his own on 23rd street near Eighth Avenue. He eventually moved his parlor uptown to Broadway and 66th Street, and was credited with adding chapels that would handle funeral services for all faiths as well as buying obituary notices in newspapers. Campbell was first recognized by the stars when actor Rudolph Valentino died of a ruptured ulcer in 1926, when he was 31 years old. His funeral drew massive crowds as thousands of fans stormed Campbell's, causing a near riot that injured 75 people who were trying to see Valentino's body. At Judy Garland's 1969 funeral, 1,500 fans stood outside, and police refused to let them in. The press was also barred from the memorial (pictured) When John Lennon died in 1980, Campbell's staff used a decoy hearse and took Lennon's body to the crematorium in another vehicle After Valentino's funeral, Campbell's quickly became known as a funeral home to the stars. The funeral home, now at Madison Avenue and 81st Street, has always pressed for privacy for the family of those being memorialized. At Judy Garland's 1969 funeral, 1,500 fans stood outside, and police refused to let them in. The press was also barred from the memorial. When John Lennon died in 1980, Campbell's staff used a decoy hearse and took Lennon's body to the crematorium in another vehicle, according to the New York Post. Today, cellphones are banned from the main chapel. When Latin singer Celia Cruz died in 2003, a shrine was erected outside Campbell's funeral home While Campbell's does not disclose funeral costs publicly, some prices have previously been reported. As of 2015, the funeral home reportedly offered a silver-plated, seamless copper coffin for $69,500 and a combination memorial bust and urn for $7,0000. Gold jewelry containing locks of your loved ones hair range from $2,000 to $10,0000. The home is no longer owned by Frank E Campbell's family, but Service Corporation International, a Houston-based funeral, cremation and cemetery service. Advertisement

Spade, 55, made his first public appearance since his wife's tragic death on Wednesday and revealed details about her struggle with mental illness.

In a statement to the New York Times he said: 'Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives.'

'We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.'

He went on to reveal that there were no signs Kate had planned to take her life, and said her death had left him and their daughter Bea heartbroken.

Andy also said that the two had been living apart for some time.

'For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day,' said Andy.

'We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority.'

The 55-year-old grieving widower of fashion designer Kate Spade dodged photographers and shielded his face as he made his way into a black SUV

Andy Spade was seen wearing a yellow backpack and a mouse mask as he left his apartment on Thursday morning

Andy did not comment nor did he explain why he was wearing a mask as he hurried into the car

Kate Spade's niece Rachel Brosnahan (right) and the designer's older brother Earl, were seen visiting Andy's apartment

Rachel Brosnahan, who plays the lead in Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, posted a touching tribute to her aunt on Wednesday describing her as 'exceedingly kind' and 'beautifully sensitive'

Kate's Spade's sister (in blue) close friend Oberon Sinclair (far right) Elyce Arons (founder of Kate spade in stripes), and a mystery male were seen heading into Andy Spade's apartment

Difficult time: Andy Spade is speaking out for the first time since the death of his wife Kate on Tuesday (couple above in 2016)

He continued: 'We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.'

Andy praised his late wife as well in his remarks.

'Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years,' he noted.

'My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already.'

His comments also refute claims that the designer had a drinking problem, which had been made by both Kate's sister and TMZ.

The 55-year-old handbag designer was found dead at her Manhattan apartment on Tuesday after hanging herself with a scarf.

She was discovered by her housekeeper Bella Cariaga who tried desperately to save Kate's life with police sources telling DailyMail.com that she first called 911 and then summoned a male worker in the building to come help.

Kate's father Frank Brosnahan, 90, (pictured with daughter Eve) said he had spoken to Kate the night before her death and reveals she seemed 'happy' and was planning a trip to California to look at colleges

BCariaga was seen exiting the $12,000-a-month pied-a-tierre that Andy Spade began renting last July, briskly walking by reporters while refusing to comment on Kate's suicide.

Bella was remarkably close to the designer, and a shoe in Kate's new Frances Valentine line was even named after her, with the Bella Ankle Strap Sandal retailing for around $475 at select stores.

Spade's father Frank Brosnahan revealed that he had warned his daughter about the pills she had been taking and told how her suicide came as a shock after he had spoken to her the night before she died.

'She'd been taking some pills, which I advised her not to take,' he told the Kansas City Star on Wednesday.

Brosnahan said he does 'not know what happened' since his daughter did not show any signs she had planned to take her life.

'The last I talked with her, the night before last, she was happy planning a trip to California to look at colleges. She doted on her daughter,' he said.

Spade is one of six children born to Frank and June Brosnahan, a flight attendant and realtor who died in 2010.

The famed handbag designer's dad said he hopes to have his daughter buried back home in Kansas City, Missouri next to his late wife.

Kate is survived by her five other siblings, sisters Missy, Ann, Eve, Reta, and brother Earl.

Mad dash: After she found the body, Bella called 911 and then rushed to get a male employee in the building who could help cut Kate free

Shoes: Bella said Kate was like a 'best friend' to her, and she even had a $475 show in the Frances Valentine line named after her (Bella sandal above)

First sighting: Andy Spade (above with lawyer Bruce Herzog in blue) was seen for the first time since his wife's death on Wednesday in NYC

On Tuesday, Kate's sister Reta Saffo, 57, told DailyMail.com that the designer had struggled to cope with her celebrity status, which only made her suspected bipolar disorder worse.

Saffo said she was aware of her sister's battle with mental illness, but it wasn't until comedian Robin Williams killed himself in August 2014, that Saffo began to realize Kate's obsession with suicide and her unraveling mental health.

Saffo had also told the Star that her suicide was not 'unexpected' - prompting backlash from her family.

Their brother, Earl Brosnahan revealed to The New York Times that Saffo, who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been estranged from the family for years and only kept in contact with Kate.

He described her 'definitive' comments as 'grossly inaccurate,' adding that Kate keeping in touch with Reta was 'Katy's way to be accessible and available to everyone.'