Jane Lynch Talks Cory Monteith Death: "We've Lost a Really Great Guy"—Watch the Emotional Clip

"Cory's one of the biggest hearts, was a real bright light," the Glee star told Jay Leno

Fans, friends and the Glee family continue to mourn the devastating death of Cory Monteith.

An emotional Jane Lynch talked about losing a man she referred to as a "really great guy" while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this evening.

"Cory's one of the biggest hearts, was a real bright light. He was one of those guys that…you know, he knew he was breathing rarified air…the gifts that this wonderful show gave us," she told the audience.

"He was always aware that it was a gift and he was quite generous. He was one of those adventurous types of those people. I always admired how he would get up…you know, he would fly to Mexico, he'd throw parties for his friends. I don't think he left one day unlived. He was a real bright light in our family and we've lost a really great guy."

And that's exactly how Lynch hopes Monteith will be remembered.

"He once flew across the country on his own nickel to meet with a sick kid [whose] last wish was to meet him. That's just the kind of guy he was. Just a real giver."

An autopsy report released Monday confirmed that Cory, 31, died of mixed drug toxicity and that a toxicology screening showed heroin and alcohol in his system. He'd been public about his battle with substance abuse, telling Parade in 2011 he was "lucky to be alive" and seeking help for his addiction at Betty Ford Center in late March of 2013.

"Cory fought his demons and the demons won," a friend told E! News. "Cory wasn't going out and doing these things to have fun. He couldn't stop. He tried. He just couldn't."