“Margaritaville” singer Jimmy Buffett passed away Friday, September 1, after a four-year battle with Merkel cell skin cancer, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, and his family says he stayed positive all the way until the end.
His sister Laurie Buffett McGuane tells People she and Jimmy spent his final days reminiscing about their childhood,” noting, “We would repeat stories, and Jimmy would laugh and nod his head to let us know that he remembered.”
She shares, “I have never seen Jimmy depressed ever. Not even at the end. We all like to joke and laugh and that was very much Jimmy,” adding, “he brought joy to so many.”
Laurie’s husband, Tom McGuane, a longtime friend of the singer, noted Jimmy “was always high-spirited, fun-loving, hard working and creative,” sharing, “It is remarkable to be able to say that he remained the same during the last month of his life. His sense of humor was fully intact. God bless him for keeping himself that way.”
Now with Jimmy gone, Laurie is having a hard time imagining what the future will be like without her brother. “When Jimmy was in the world, I felt safe,” she says. “Even though I have Tom, it will be a whole new thing for me to be without my brother Jimmy.”
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