Depace worked for him for 15-20 years at this point, he got laid off months before Howard's 60th birthday show and Howard didn't even acknowledge him. It's really sad what a scumbag he's become.
When you get your show you can give DePace a tribute. It"s possible that there was more going on behind the scenes that you don't know about. Considering DePace's personality and attitude, there was probably a good reason to ignore him. DePace describing Ralph's exit at 33:00 sounds more like his own.
