Although obituaries are not very popular, this one by a daughter to her mom has been making the rounds on the internet because of its honesty and humor.
Caity Weaver (33) is a New York Times journalist. She has a gift for words and put it to good use when she wrote a hilarious eulogy for Dr. Maureen Brennan Weaver, her mother, who died on June 14 at the ripe old age of 65.
Caity shared screenshots from the obituary on Twitter. It has been liked more than 38k times and retweeted over 1.3k times by the time of writing.
Her moving tribute brought thousands to tears and laughter and gave readers a clear insight into Maureen’s personality and the impact she’s made in the lives of others.
Caity shared a humorous and witty description of her mom. She also highlighted her love for saving money as well as her propensity to find good deals.
“Maureen was six-foot and loved strays of all species,” Caity wrote in the tribute. “She could outthink any opponent, was riotously funny and pathologically generous.”
“If you mentioned a thing you liked, she’d get you 11 when she found them at a great price,” she added.
Caity said her mother’s “true joys” were “helping people, and anyone anywhere saving money.”
Maureen would clip diaper coupons and place them in the baby section of the grocery store to help others.
Their entire family still reaps the benefits of a wise purchase Maureen made many decades ago when she bought large boxes of toothbrushes for pennies per unit.
Caity also recalled that a relative asked her for a toy microscope. But she gave him one more. The podiatrist got him a real one “at a great price” and even made him hundreds of slides for his study.
“Maureen had a cackle that crashed through rooms,” Caity continued in the obit. “She died before discovering what, if anything, she was afraid of.”
The writer also joked that her mom’s death “shocked all who loved her” because she was “ahead of schedule for the first time in her life.”
Caity mentioned that Maureen is missed by her “adoring husband of 33 years,” John, whom she provided “selfless care” throughout his “prolonged infirmity.”
She also wrote that Maureen was “treasured” by her patients, who often gave her homemade treats.
“Dr. Brennan-Weaver could not stop herself from buying shoes for patients if she spotted just what they needed while shopping,” Caity wrote. “She categorically did not do house calls, except for patients she really liked.”
Maureen’s passion for gardening is another remarkable quality. Caity asked people to help her plant something instead of sending flowers.
“Please also be aware (in her memory) that garden centers mark perennials down to unbelievable prices in the fall,” she added.
“No amount of time with the astonishing Maureen would have been enough for her family and friends, though she gave us enough toothbrushes and memories to last several lifetimes,” she concluded the tribute. “Oh, how we loved her!”
Many internet users were touched by Caity’s heartfelt tribute, which captured who Maureen really was.
This tribute alone makes her sound like a delightful person, but one comment on the obituary page further supports that she is indeed one.
Jack Wilson, a commenter on this blog, shared his encounters with Maureen years ago. That time, he stepped on a needle in a dressing room while getting dressed at a friend’s place for a wedding.
Jack’s friend knew Maureen and called her to say he was bringing him for help because the wedding starts in less than an hour.
The doctor was able, however, to remove the needle. Jack pulled out his insurance card to give to the front desk staff, but Maureen shouted from the treatment room, “Don’t worry about it, just get to your wedding while you’ve got time!”
After the wedding, Jack went by her office to thank her and make sure the practice was paid, but the invoice said: “It’s a gift of kindness, which I encourage you to pay forward to someone!”
Jack quickly acted and gave $100 to the lady at desk. He also told her that she could use the money to take the staff to lunch.
“Dr. Brennan, you didn’t just fix a foot back then; you put me on a path which saved my soul!” Jack wrote.
Although we haven’t met Maureen yet, we know enough about her to be able to appreciate the many people she has made happy. That’s a life well-lived—and certainly one worth celebrating.
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