NEW YORK — A mother in New York City uniquely announced her own death Tuesday in both a warm, yet heartbreaking post on social media. The Brooklyn woman penned her premature passing from cancer to ensure family and friends knew how “deeply” she was loved.
Ovarian cancer claimed the life of 38-year-old Casey McIntyre on Sunday. She worked as a publisher at Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House that publishes books for children and young adults. Yet the Instagram publication might be her crescendo in the wordsmith business.
“A note to my friends: if you’re reading this it means I have passed away,” her heart-tugging social media post began. “I’m so sorry, it’s horses–t and we both know it. The cause was stage four ovarian cancer.”
Casey McIntyre, 38, died Sunday of ovarian cancer. She is pictured with her husband, Andrew Gregory, and their 18-month-old daughter, Grace. (X/@caseyrmcintyre)
The forlorn message included several photos showing McIntyre smiling while surrounded by loved ones, particularly her husband of eight years, Andrew Gregory, and their 18-month-old daughter, Grace, the New York Post reported.
“I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved,” she wrote, adding that the last five months she spent on hospice care at home with her family and close friends were “magical.”
a note to my friends: if you’re reading this I have passed away. I’m so sorry, it’s horseshit and we both know it. The cause was stage four ovarian cancer.
I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved. pic.twitter.com/xCtiD93S7T
— Casey McIntyre (@caseyrmcintyre) November 14, 2023
Gregory added an “Editor’s note” on Instagram, saying his wife’s announcement was sadly cut short due to her declining health.
“Casey meant to finish this post with a list of things that were a comfort and a joy to her during her life, and I am heartbroken that I will never see that list,” he lamented.
Nevertheless, Gegory made an effort to relay her thoughts. He imagined that she would have included their “daughter Grace, whales, ice cream, her beloved friends, being at the beach, her niece and nephews she incorrigibly doted on, reading 10 books on a weeklong vacation, her beloved parents and sister and their amazing extended family, swimming, a perfect roast beef sandwich, and me, her sweet sweet honey.”
The Brooklyn mom is being remembered as a beloved family woman and an “inveterate New Yorker.” (X/@caseyrmcintyre)
Gregory asked McIntyre’s friends to comment a comfort or joy they shared with her. The post quickly took off and went viral with thousands of likes and hundreds of endearing comments.
Indeed, she will not be forgotten and her parting announcement will be cherished by all who loved her.
