Geraldine Doyle, a beloved entertainer, has died. The comedian chose to end her life by means of Voluntary Assisted Dying on May 29, according to a statement sent to Extra.ie and other news outlets. She was 76.
Doyle — not to be confused with the woman named Geraldine Doyle often linked to Rosie the Riveter — was an Irish comic and singer known for albums like Emigrant Eyes (with Danny Doyle) and Stand on Your Man, as well as the humorous book You Wouldn’t Read About It!. The Irish entertainer, who lived in Australia, had been dealing with a cancer recurrence since 2017 and opted to die by Voluntary Assisted Dying.
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Per the Australian government, “VAD involves a process to access medication and to enable a person to legally choose the manner and timing of their death.” Australian adults can choose VAD “if they have a disease or illness that is so severe it is going to cause their death and their suffering cannot be relieved in a manner tolerable to them.”
Read the official statement on Doyle’s death below.
“She was irrepressible, very funny and fiercely protective of a woman’s right to her place as an equal in what was a very competitive, male-dominated entertainment industry and in the wider world. An American theatre critic once opened a review of Geraldine’s performance with: ‘Geraldine Doyle is a dangerous woman. When she turns on her comedy, nothing – absolutely nothing – is safe.’ Her comedy sprang from her acute observations of the world around her and nobody was safe, not even her beloved husband Paddy Fitzpatrick, who managed her career for almost 50 years. A staunch advocate of Dying With Dignity, she fought a long battle with cancer that had returned seven years ago after her initial diagnosis back in 2009. With the help of Voluntary Assisted Dying, Geraldine Doyle passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 29.”
