Suzanne Somers passed away on Sunday, succumbing to her long battle with breast cancer at the age of 76.
Her representative conveyed the sad news, stating that she “passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th.”
It was a somber moment for her family, who had gathered to commemorate what would have been her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they chose to celebrate her remarkable life and express their gratitude to the multitude of fans and followers who cherished her dearly.
Suzanne Somers dealt with a tragic health issue
Suzanne Somers had shown exceptional strength in her fight against an aggressive form of breast cancer, spanning over 23 years. Her representatives revealed that her family had been by her side during her final moments, including her loving husband, Alan, her son, Bruce, and her immediate family. A private family burial is scheduled for this week, with a memorial service planned for November.
Though, this was not Suzanne’s first encounter with cancer. In her 30s, she was diagnosed with skin cancer, and in her 50s, breast cancer.
In July, she revealed to Fox News that her breast cancer had returned, saying: “I have been living with cancer for decades now, using the best of alternative and conventional medicine to keep it at bay. Every time that little f***** pops up, I continue to bat it back.”
Addressing her most recent diagnosis, she said: “It’s a recurrence of my breast cancer. Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, ‘It’s back,’ you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war. This is familiar battleground for me, and I’m very tough.”
Rise to fame
Suzanne Somers rose to fame in 1977 when she portrayed Chrissy Snow, the vivacious blonde roommate in the sitcom Three’s Company alongside Jack Tripper (John Ritter) and Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt).
Her career skyrocketed, and she even became the spokesperson for the ThighMaster, an at-home exercise device designed to tone legs, which has reportedly generated $300 million in revenue since its inception. She was the product’s co-owner along with her husband, Alan Hamel.
Suzanne Somers’ entrepreneurial spirit extended beyond the ThighMaster. She wrote 27 books, including 14 New York Times bestsellers, and her name was on a diverse range of products, from jewelry to protein formulas.
Suzanne was dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Her previous battle with cancer led her to prioritize organic and chemical-free products in her daily life, with the actress saying: “It’s really hard for me to eat food that’s not organic because I had cancer.”
Husband’s letter
Suzanne had been married to her beloved husband, Alan, since 1977. The pair had a son named Bruce and are grandparents to three granddaughters: Camelia, Violet, and Daisy.
Following Suzanne’s death, a heartbreaking note Alan wrote to his wife was published in People. He had gifted her the note a day before her death, written in all caps and wrapped in pink peonies.
“Love I use it every day, sometimes several times a day. I use it at the end of emails to my loving family. I even use it in emails to close friends. I use it when I’m leaving the house,” the note began, via People. “There’s love, then love you and I love you!! Therein lies some of the different ways we use love. Sometimes I feel obliged to use love, responding to someone who signed love in their email, when I’m uncomfortable using love but I use it anyway.”
“I also use love to describe a great meal. I use it to express how I feel about a show on Netflix. I often use love referring to my home, my cat Gloria, to things Gloria does, to the taste of a cantaloupe I grew in my garden. I love the taste of a freshly harvested organic royal jumbo medjool date. I love biting a fig off the tree. I love watching two giant blackbirds who live nearby swooping by my window in a power dive. My daily life encompasses things and people I love and things and people I am indifferent to,” he continued. “I could go on ad infinitum, but you get it. What brand of love do I feel for my my wife Suzanne? Can I find it in any of the above? A resounding no!!!! There is no version of the word that is applicable to Suzanne and I even use the word applicable advisedly.”
“The closest version in words isn’t even close. It’s not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction. Unconditional love does not do it. I’ll take a bullet for you doesn’t do it. I weep when I think about my feelings for you. Feelings… That’s getting close, but not all the way.”
“55 years together, 46 married and not even one hour apart for 42 of those years. Even that doesn’t do it,” he added. “Even going to bed at 6 o’clock and holding hands while we sleep doesn’t do it. Staring at your beautiful face while you sleep doesn’t do it.”
“I’m back to feelings. There are no words,” he concluded. “There are no actions. No promises. No declarations. Even the green shaded scholars of the Oxford University Press have spent 150 years and still have failed to come up with that one word. So I will call it, ‘Us,’ uniquely, magically, indescribably wonderful ‘Us.’”
This is truly heartbreaking… Our deepest sympathies go out to Suzanne Somers’ family, friends, and fans at this incredibly difficult time.