Obituaries rarely go viral, but this one written by a daughter for her deceased mom has been making rounds on the internet for its hilarity and honesty.
New York Times journalist Caity Weaver, 33, has a knack for words, and she put that skill to good use when she composed a hysterical eulogy for her mom, Dr. Maureen Brennan-Weaver, who passed away on June 14 at the age of 65.
On Twitter, Caity shared screenshots of the obituary, which has received over 38k likes and retweeted more than 1.3k times as 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 gave a witty and comical description of her late mom and highlighted her love for saving money and propensity for finding 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.”
To help others get good deals, Maureen would clip coupons for diapers and leave them in the grocery store baby aisle.
Their entire family still benefits from a savvy purchase Maureen made decades ago when she bought a huge box of toothbrushes for pennies on the dollar.
Caity also remembered when one relative asked her mom for a toy microscope, but she did him one better. 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.”
Another remarkable quality about Maureen is her passion for gardening, so Caity asked people to plant something in her memory instead of sending over 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.
She sounds like a delightful person based on this tribute alone, but one comment on her obituary page further proves that she is indeed one.
A commenter named Jack Wilson shared his encounter with Maureen a long time 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.
Luckily, the doctor was able to tweeze the needle out. 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 wasted no time and gave the lady at the desk $100 and told her to use it 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.
We may have never met Maureen, but we know enough to understand that she has made many people happy. That’s a life well-lived—and certainly one worth celebrating.
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