Woman’s sassy self-written obituary goes viral


Not only will Emily Debrayda Phillips be remembered by her family, but she will also be remembered by people around the world who never met her, thanks to the witty obituary that Phillips penned for herself.

The 69-year-old woman from Florida maintained her sense of humor in spite of a grim pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She died on March 25, just 29 days after being diagnosed, the family told the "Today" show.

In her final days, Phillips wrote a lengthy obituary for herself that shared her love of life and family with the world, encouraging everyone to "make something amazing out of your life."

Phillips begins her obituary with the observation, “It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I have passed away.” She laments, " Once again I didn't get things my way! That's been the story of my life all my life.”

Referring to her husband of 45 years as, “The man of my dreams,” Phillips goes on to say about her wedding day, “From that day on I was proud to be Mrs. Charlie Phillips, Grand Diva Of All Things Domestic.”

Phillips  writes about her daughter Bonnie and son Scott, “Seeing these two grow into who they were supposed to be brought a wonderful sense of meaning to our lives.”

When talking about her grandchildren, Phillips writes, “My five grand-angels stole not only my heart, but also spent most of my money.”

As she nears the end of the obituary, Phillips waxes philosophically, “So…I was born; I blinked; and it was over. No buildings named after me; no monuments erected in my honor. But I DID have the chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all my family members. How much more blessed can a person be? “

Phillips ends her obituary encouraging everyone not to cry, writing, “Today I am happy and I am dancing. Probably naked.”

Read the entire obituary at Legacy.com.