By now I’m sure you know that Tammy Faye Messner died on Friday following a raw, emotional appearance the night before on Larry King Live. She was 65. Tammy Faye had been battling cancer since 1996. She announced that she had decided to discontinue treatments for it in May.
Messner, who stood out on Christian television in the 80’s for reaching out to gay men afflicted with AIDS at a time when Ronald Reagan refused to even mention the disease, said: “I refuse to label people. We’re all just people made out of the same old dirt, and God didn’t make any junk.”
Her son, Jay Bakker, posted this message on his website over the weekend: “After fighting cancer for eleven years, my mother passed away on July 20 at 4AM. She had a very peaceful death and is no longer in pain. To grant her wish she was cremated today and her ashes were buried at a private ceremony. The service was performed by my good friend Randy McCain of Open Door Community Church in Sherwood, AR. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and support over the years – it has helped me more than you will ever know. Please continue to pray for her husband Roe as well as the rest of my family. A public ceremony is currently being planned – an update will be sent once the details are finalized along with where to send flowers. I ask that all press would please allow me to grieve privately at this time. Thank you.”
