A woman from Massachusetts aimed to spread laughter even after her passing.
Linda Murphy’s obituary blended humor with heartfelt sentiment, shared after she died at 60 following a three-year battle with Bulbar ALS.
“If you’re reading this, it seems I’m dead. Wow, it really happened… I passed away at FOMO due to complications with Bulbar ALS,” Murphy noted in her writing. “I’m Linda Brassi Murphy, and I was only 60. Too young, right? I passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones.” She emphasized how she was cherished, comforted, and hugged by her beautiful family until her last moments.
Murphy, from Framingham, Massachusetts, highlighted her husband David and her kids as “the absolute best part” of her life while reflecting on those she left behind.
For the past year, unable to speak, Murphy had prepared her obituary before losing her ability to write in April.
“My stupid Bulbar ALS made it tough; I couldn’t even say ‘I love you!’ I couldn’t get snacks from my Bo Jungle or order at Dunkin’,” she said.
She lamented the frustration of watching others enjoy meals, recalling, “Sitting at the table while everyone else digs into juicy burgers, piles of Chinese food, or creamy pasta just isn’t fun.”
Murphy briefly managed a nursing home before joining the family real estate business in 2000. She’d previously survived breast cancer and continued working until being diagnosed with ALS in 2022.
She confessed that she tried to keep her struggles private, admitting, “Life became such an overwhelming burden. I always aimed not to reveal the ‘backstory’ of my daily suffering.”
When it came to her celebration of life, Murphy selected her music and plans for a dance party, aiming for joy, as reported.
She humorously claimed one of her “superpowers” was drinking without suffering hangovers, joking, “Why didn’t I die from liver failure?”
In a generous act, she donated her brain and spinal cord for ALS research and urged her loved ones to honor her memory in a unique way.
Murphy requested that only “love-filled people” be part of her final farewell, stating, “If you were mean or negative toward me or my family, just stay away. We don’t need that energy.”
Her lasting message to the world was to “be kind to everyone.”
“Be kind to everyone: whether it’s telemarketers, grocery staff, Dunkin’ workers, tailgaters, or friends and family,” she encouraged. “Why bring negativity? I don’t see any reason to…”
As she concluded, Murphy reflected, “So, to my earthly self, I bid farewell. What a ride it’s been! We’ve really enjoyed it!”
Her daughter, Justin Hastings, recalled how her mother approached her ALS diagnosis with resilience, remarking, “[She] told the doctor, ‘I have ALS. Please prove me wrong.’ That’s the most ‘my mom’ thing she could do.”
Hastings expressed gratitude for the positive response to her mother’s obituary, noting, “She was the life of the party. I loved one comment that said, ‘I wish I could’ve had a glass of wine with her.'”
