Barbara Barrie’s Final Words Revealed Before Dying with Medical Aid
Barbara Barrie‘s final words have been revealed.
The beloved Oscar-nominated actress passed away this week through medical assistance at the age of 95 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Barbara received an Oscar nomination for her work in the 1979 movie Breaking Away and she’s also known for creating the role of Sarah in the original Broadway cast of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which earned her a Tony nomination. She’s also known for her work in the movie One Potato, Two Potato and her role on the TV series Barney Miller in the 1970s.
In a new interview, Barbara‘s daughter revealed what happened in the moments before she passed.
Barbara‘s daughter Jane Harnick told Page Six, “As she was falling asleep, we all just said, ‘We love you.’ And she said, ‘I love you too.’ And those were her last words.”
Jane said that her mom was a “huge advocate” for medical aid in death and “she wanted it to be her path.”
“For years and years her whole life before she was ever sick with any illness, she always used to say, ‘When my time comes, I just want to take something and go to sleep,’” Jane added. “She just really believed that that was a human right.”
Barbara had a hip replacement surgery in 2025 to be able to live without pain for the final year of her life.
Jane said, “Some doctors wouldn’t do it. We found the one who would. And he was incredible. [Barrie] wrote to him at the end of her life and said, ‘Thank you, you’ve made my last summer perfect.’”
Barbara‘s terminal cancer diagnosis came just three weeks ago.
“That’s really what did it …It really weakened her all over. She didn’t feel it, but it was taking its toll,” Jane said. “We were planning her death and her memorial at the same time and she was fine with it. She was weighing in on who should speak and what the music should be and she was really fine with that. She was ready to go. She knew 95 was old enough.”
Jane concluded, “She was 95, she had the most incredible life, she did everything she wanted to do, she had the family she wanted. It was 100 percent her decision, and we all supported it. She’s an advocate for that right.”
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