Tributes are pouring in for legendary comic Shelley Berman, whose “sit-down” phone routines of the late 1950s and 1960s gave way to TV fame as Larry David’s dad on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

He died Friday in Bell Canyon at age 92.

He’ll be missed especially by students and colleagues at USC, where he taught for more than 20 years.

“Shelley taught humor writing in the Master of Professional Writing program at USC, where he was made a Lecturer Emeritus,” Berman’s bio says.

“Shelley retired from performing in 2014, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 1, 2017, Complications from the disease were the cause of his death. He left behind a legacy of groundbreaking comedy, unforgettable characters, and beautiful poetry.”

In 2005, Berman told TVGuide.com: “What I teach is how humor comes about, and I teach how to access it. I don’t teach screenwriting or television writing; I teach humor writing, both literary and dramatic. So it is about where the joke comes from, where our humor comes from, and how to articulate it.”

But Berman bemoaned what young people he worked with (even in their 30s and 40s) using vernacular and concepts “that are often not outside the area of the underwear.”

“That bothers me,” he said, “so I’m trying to help them find humor outside of that. And they do.”

In 2006, Pamela J. Johnson recounted a moment during Berman’s lecture about the history of comedy.

“A cell phone rang in the audience, halting the fluid 2-hour presentation in its tracks. The packed 24th Street Theatre near USC held its collective breath,” she said on. A USC website.

“Berman fans may recall how the father of modern monologue blew his stack back in his 1963 NBC documentary, ‘Comedian Backstage.’ His career suffered after viewers witnessed that memorable outburst. The trigger? The annoying ring of a backstage telephone.”

Then 80, Berman calmly removed his glasses and strolled toward the audience. He held out his palm, Johnson wrote.

“The offender handed over his cell phone, still ringing. Berman turned it off, closed the antenna, pocketed the phone and returned to the podium.”

She quoted German: “I’ll hold it for you. When you want it back, all you have to do is kiss me … someplace.”

Memories and mourning:

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