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July 21, 2007

Tammy Faye Loses Her Battle with Cancer


Tammy Faye Messner passed away peacefully at her home Friday morning, her family announced Saturday. She was 65.

Tammy had been battling inoperable lung cancer since 2004. Earlier this year, she announced the cancer was no longer treatable – but that she had faith.

The mascara-loving evangelist appeared on CNN’s “Larry King Live” on Thursday, and said confidently, “I’m going straight to heaven.”

Jim Bakker, Tammy's former husband, said, "Our family is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Tammy Faye. She lived her life like the song she sang, 'If Life Hands You a Lemon, Make Lemonade.'

"My heart aches for my two children," he continued. "Jamie Charles and Tammy Sue, who loved their Mother dearly. They both told me their Mom was so full of life that it is hard to believe she is gone."

Tammy had dwindled down to a shocking 65 pounds and revealed she could no longer swallow food. But she still managed to give one final message of hope to her audience.

“I'd like to say that I genuinely love you, and I genuinely care, and I genuinely want to see you in heaven some day,” Tammy said. “I want you to find peace. I want you to find joy."

Asked by King what she would most like to be remembered for, Tammy jokingly said, “Well, my eyelashes.”

But Tammy will be remembered for much more than that.

She helped her ex-husband Jim Bakker launch the multi-million dollar televangelist ministry PTL (Praise The Lord) Network in the 1970s. It was later shut down amid Bakker’s involvement in a million-dollar defrauding scandal and an extramarital affair.

Tammy went on to marry construction tycoon Roe Messner, with whom she spent the last years of her life. Asked on “Larry King Live” how they are coping with her decline, Roe answered with a laugh, “We make it good, don’t we honey?”

Tammy is survived by Roe and her two children, Tammy Sue, 37, and Jay 31.

"Extra" wants to know: what will you remember most about Tammy Faye? Post your comments here.


NEXT: After Fight, Jon Lovitz Warns Andy Dick: 'Avoid Me Like the Plague'

 

Rest in peace, Tammy Faye! You were a very courageous woman. We will all miss you.


- Maria
Posted 08/10/07 07:43 PM
 

I will remember Tammy for how kind she was and how she didn’t judge anyone. She loved and excepted everyone for who they really were. I am not a big religious person but listening to her made me believe that there was something more. She was such a down to earth person and I loved that she didn’t shove religion down your throat. She expressed God with her actions and love for all. I believe she was an angel all along. She will be missed by all.

Tammy


- Tammy
Posted 07/25/07 07:14 PM
 

I think Tammy was a nice person and had some good upbringing but she wanted the world and Jesus too. We can’t be a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ unless we sell out to the world and its standards. The word of God says whosoever is a friend to the world is an enemy of God. We live in the world and we have to be kind to sinners but we have to take a stand against sin. The gays may love Tammy Faye but that won’t get them into heaven in the end. It is a shame that people can get so misled. God’s way is a narrow path and few be there that find it and walk therein.Salvation is a wonderful gift of God and it is offered to anyone that will repent of their sins and accept the precious gift. God IS GOOD.


- Joyce Harris
Posted 07/25/07 08:34 AM
 

I will remember Tammy Faye most for her singing “I am Blessed” on the PTL tv show, and she was always very happy…

I did learn a lot from her about the bible, God’s word and how to follow Jesus and know that he loves us and that all will be possible through him…

I do also remember that she had the best long eye lashes ever!!! :)

She surely is in heaven now, & will always be remembered.


- Terry
Posted 07/24/07 11:14 PM
 

My deepest sympathy and profound sadness for the Bakker families loss. I believe she is up in heaven and looking down on us, no more suffering for her. Tammy had such faith in the lord to place her life in his hands. Rest in peace.

God Speed,

Jane


- Jane
Posted 07/24/07 06:30 PM
 

I remember watching PTL as a young kid with my parents…and I remember watching Tammy Faye on The Surreal Life and I Specifically remember being amazed and tearful at watching how optimistic and accepting she was! She was the true definition of a christian. The world has lost one more bright shining light, but witnessing her over the years, I know she lighted so many more.


- Brian Stone
Posted 07/23/07 07:16 PM
 

I remember when I first saw Tammy. I tuned in to here her speak of the Lords LOVE for me. When I was Down, Her words in the Lord picked me right up. Her singing made me weep, The words of the Lord shined through. Tammy did whittness to me in a strong and powerfull way. And PTL never interested me and it was Tammy who kept the Lord in it. Even since the cancer came, her strength in the Lord was STRONG. She Did Let the Lord shine and gave HIM the Glory and gave me Hope once again. The pain of loosing her to her family I would just say, Jesus said, Blessed are they that mourn, for They shall Be comforted.


- loved her
Posted 07/23/07 04:57 PM
 

She should have been in prison along side her husband. Both her first husband and second husband did time for being felons. I can’t believe your show or the network would give her one second of press time. Christians don’t do to people what they did to hard working people using their religion for a front and scam just to line their pockets to the tune of $129 million a year. She will get her just dues as we all will in given time.


- Gary Milam
Posted 07/23/07 04:51 PM
 

Never seen a women with so much courage. Had cancer in 1982. Have to say never was that brave when I was in that position.. Everything worked fine for me. If I was going to have her outcome would have not accepted it the way she did.. Mascara or not she was brave women.. Not many people new she had a beautiful singing voice.


- patricia rodriguez
Posted 07/23/07 04:50 PM
 

To Disgusted and Disappointed you are both very pathetic creatures. Disappointed, please don’t try to pass yourself off as a Christian, only as a self rightous hypocrite.


- Sharon
Posted 07/23/07 04:45 PM
 

I remeber my mother used to watch her and Jim Baker on t.v. when I was a child. I would always tell her to turn the channel and she would get upset.One thing I can say about Tammy Faye was that unlike most relationships today, she stood by her husband for the most part.I thank her for her last interview with Larry King because, My mom has stage IV stomach cancer and it’s been rough on both of us. Tammy told me what my mom wouldn’t say, and that’s regaurdless to how rough the journey through cancer or life for that matter is, keep your head and spirit up. It’s funny how two old sick woman can teach a young black belt the true meaning of strength. May God be Pleased with her.


- kevin
Posted 07/23/07 04:36 PM
 

My thoughts and prayers are with Tammy’s family. There are so many ways in which I will remember Tammy Faye. Of course I remember the situation with ehr and JIm Bakker. However, I think I really got to “know” her when she was on The Surreal Life.I found her to be caring, funny, and sweet and full of life. I know there were camersa ther to follow them, but she was real and i admire her for that. I am positive she was swept away to heaven. God bless Tammy Faye :)


- joan
Posted 07/23/07 04:13 PM
 

i just want to say that all my prayers are with the family and friends of Tammy.
i actually got the chance to meet her
Last week
she now lives right by where i work
and she came in to get some makeup.
she told us all that every day she makes her self get up every day
there is never a day where she is just in bed…

she is an amazing lady and will be missed tons! and i feel proud and lucky to have met her a week before she passed away


- Becca
Posted 07/23/07 04:13 PM
 

I wish her soul rest and may she be at peace now, after all of that pain . She was really pretty strong to endure all of that that she had to go through . I really think that it is very unclassy for anyone , no matter what their opinion of her was or is , to make any kind of disgustingly rude and crass comments or remarks just right after the woman has died ! And no , it’s not because of the ” you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead ” stuff ! It is just a real sign of stupidity and of having absolutely no CLASS whatsoever , to not have the intelligence or manners or decency just to keep your mouth shut for now , you know . I wasn’t a huge fan of hers or that christian hypocritical stuff that a lot or even all of those so called bible toters do . But you could still see that whatever she did here physically with material things in the past , and she is and was after all a human being just like the rest of us , that she really did genuinely love God and really did believe all of that stuff . And all of what she said about that all of the time . I mean do you REALIZE just exactly what she had !!!! And what she had to go through . I mean , my god , that’s CANCER for goodness sakes !!!! Oh , and you don’t think that just maaaybe , just possibly , that she might have been getting through all of that horrible , horrific pain with SOME kind of faith and belief in God !!!! I mean you’d have to be an utter and complete ” MORON ” not to REALIZE THIS !!!! AND you all know who you all are , that I am talking about !!!! And as if you even care about my opinion anyway , but I think that you all should be really absolutely ashamed of yourselves !!!! But , like I said , considering that you all that say those very nasty things anyway in the first place , and that you all have no decency or consideration for even their families who just might happen to read this stuff , and the fact that you all don’t even have the smarts enough to keep your mouths shut in the first place , I know that all you pompous self-rightous sour people don’t even think before you type !!!!


- T.M.
Posted 07/23/07 03:57 PM
 

We all have faults, so amidst all perceived wrongdoing God still forgives and loves us unconditionally. Tammy Faye was also human therefore may she rest in peace and hopefully people will not be too quick to judge because it is not our place to do so.

My prayers go out to her family and friends.


- Renee
Posted 07/23/07 03:30 PM
 

I admire Tammy Faye Bakker for her
warrior spirit!
She was a powerful christian woman.

Rest in Peace!



- Linda
Posted 07/23/07 03:27 PM
 

Tammy Fae professed to be saved. If she was, then she is truly in Heaven with our Lord. No one is perfect except the Lord, and He alone is judge. So, whatever was in her life is between her and the Lord. Even tho it was hard to look at her on the Larry King Show, I believe that since she was in the limelight for so long, that she finally wanted people to know that altho she was dying, she had a message; that if you belong to the Lord, even death can’t keep you down. Bless her loved ones in their time of loss and grief.


- Dianne
Posted 07/23/07 03:26 PM
 

I am often asked why I love Tammy Faye so much. It is mostly because she showed what it was like to be a Christian in the horrible days we all face. She NEVER backed down on her faith..on the Surreal Life, on her talk show, on Larry King at the end.
I loved it when she said “I know when I die, because I love the Lord, I am going STRAIGHT UP TO HEAVEN!”
Wow.
What a witness.
What a strong woman.
R.I.P. strong Lady
RIP! Say hello to Jesus for me Tammy and make sure He knows I want to meet you when I get there!


- Ron
Posted 07/23/07 03:15 PM
 

I thought Tammy Faye was a good woman after seeing her on Surreal Life. I knew she was a good woman after seeing her with her son on Revolution.

Get ready God!

Have fun Tammy and all my prayers to her loved ones.


- Tara Dowd
Posted 07/23/07 02:52 PM
 

I will always think it is kind of hard to see Jesus through all that mascara bought from fleecing the masses that mistook your attitude for goodness when you were praising the Lord all the way to the bank while your husbands did time and your kids went awry. But, yeah, rest in peace. May your final moments have been peaceful repentance.


- disgusted
Posted 07/23/07 02:29 PM

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