Larry Strickland is recalling his late wife Naomi Judd's final days.
It was confirmed in April that the country singer died by suicide at 76. During a memorial special that aired Sunday, Strickland discussed his wife's legacy.
"Naomi never met a stranger," he said during CMT's "Naomi Judd: A River of Time" memorial special, according to E! News. "Much to my displeasure, she would start a conversation with anyone who made eye contact with her, and we would end up standing 10, 20, 30 minutes on a sidewalk while she talked to a complete stranger about their passions and their dog."
Naomi was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame but died on the eve of the ceremony. To attend the event, she flew home to Nashville, Tennessee from Vienna, Austria, but Strickland noted that it was out of the ordinary for her to fly solo.
"I was really scared to death about her flying alone all the way from Vienna back to Nashville because I knew how fragile she was," he said. "Well, she made the flight home without any problem."
After her death, Strickland received a touching letter from a passenger who crossed paths with Naomi that gave him "great, great pleasure and comfort."
"It's a small comfort, I'm sure, but my life seems a lot richer after meeting your wife, however briefly," the email read, according to E! News. "Obviously, I didn't know Naomi at all, but I can tell you she spoke highly and warmly of you, and the life you shared together. Rest assured she loved you and had no qualms about telling me, a stranger on a plane, that was so."
Naomi's daughter, Ashley, revealed during an appearance on "Good Morning America" last week that her mother had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"She used a weapon. My mother used a firearm," Ashley said. "So that’s the piece of information we are very uncomfortable sharing."
Ashley also discussed the trauma of finding her mother dead in her home.
"It was a mixed day," she said. "I visit with my mom and pop every day when I’m home in Tennessee, so I was at the house … and Mom said to me, 'Will you stay with me?' And I said, 'Of course, I will.'"
Her mother was upstairs when a friend arrived to visit, Ashley said.
"I went upstairs to let her know that [her] friend was there, and I discovered her. I have both grief and trauma from discovery," she said.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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