Jimmy Buffett’s widow, Jane Slagsvol, is sharing some gratitude for people who reached out with kind words and kind actions prior to his death on Sept.1, 2023. According to a post on Buffett’s official site, Slagsvol is grateful for her time with her late husband and thanked the doctors, nurses, hospice workers, fans, and anybody else who lent a helping hand.
“As Jimmy said a few months ago, ‘growing old is not for sissies.’ These last few years have been unimaginably challenging for Jimmy and me, and we’re definitely not sissies. One thing we both knew and experienced, through every difficult moment, was the feeling of being buoyed up by all the people in our lives,” the statement starts, with Slagsvol singling out a few folks along the way. “
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“Since those early days and all through the decades, Jimmy’s fans became a big, boisterous family. Thank you for creating the world’s most joyful community. The smile that Jimmy beamed at you from the stage was sparked by your spirit. I think that’s why he loved performing so much,” she added. “He was so grateful to the community you built around him. Your sympathy and support inspire and comfort me and my family.”
She then dedicates a segment of her statement to the doctors, nurses, hospice workers, and caregivers who helped the musician and his family in the past few years. “Jimmy listened to everything you said and followed your every order. You gave him hope, even at the most hopeless moments,” she adds. “Thank you for your tenacity in seeking the best solutions at each stage of his illness. You were honest, brave, and empathic; you showed us such dignity and goodness. I could not have asked for a better team of professionals.”
Buffett’s widow also dedicates a portion to the couple’s friends and the people who worked with them throughout his career. But she saves the most touching words for her husband, as a sort of prelude to an official goodbye.
“Jimmy was love. Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill. And his sense of humor never wavered. Jimmy was always the optimist, always twinkling, always making us laugh,” she continued. “One of the last songs Jimmy recorded was “Bubbles Up.” He sings, “Just know that you are loved, there is light up above, and the joy is always enough. Bubbles up.” Jimmy knew he was loved. Right until the end, he looked for the light. Thank you for giving joy to him and to me.”
Buffett passed away at the start of September after a struggle with Merkel cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. He was 76 when he passed and continued to work until his passing. Buffett and Slagsvol were married in 1977 after meeting a few years earlier following Buffett’s divorce from Margie Washichek. The couple did have a split in the ’80s but reconciled a few years later.
