These run the gambit – irony – humor – sadness – anger – awareness – faith. If you want more, go to http://www.mapping.com/words.html
Astor, Lady Nancy (1879-1964 … writer) 'Jakie, is it my birthday or am I dying?' (Seeing all her children assembled at her bedside in her last illness.)
Barrymore, John (1882-1942) Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.
Beecher, Henry Ward (1813-1887 … writer) 'Now comes the mystery.'
Chaplin, Charles (1889-1977) When the priest who was attending him at his bedside said 'May the Lord have mercy on your soul', Chaplin is reported to have replied 'Why Not? After all, it belongs to him.'
Childers, Robert Erskins (1870-1922) (Irish Nationalist, executed by an Irish Free State firing squad) 'Take a step forward, lads. It will be easier that way.'
Cleveland, Grover (1837-1908 … president) 'I have tried so hard to do the right.'
Crosby, Bing (1903-1977) 'That was a great game of golf, fellers.'
Eastman, George (1854-1932 … as in Eastman Kodak) 'My work is done, why wait?' (His suicide note.)
Gandhi, Indira (1917-1984) 'I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation.' (Said the night before Sikh militants assassinated her.)
Chubbock, Christine 'And now, in keeping with Channel 40's policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you're about to see another first--an attempted suicide.' (Just before she shot herself during a broadcast)
Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) 'Is it the Fourth?' (4 July 1826)
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald (1917-1963) 'If someone is going to kill me, they will kill me.' (On arriving in Dallas, 1963)
Keynes, John Maynard (1883-1946) 'I wish I'd drunk more champagne.'
Louis XIV (1638-1715) 'Why are you weeping? Did you imagine that I was immortal?' (Noticing as he lay on his deathbed that his attendants were crying.)
Marx, Karl (1818-1883) 'Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough.'
Morant, Lt. Henry H. ('Breaker')(b. Edwin Henry Murrant) (1864-1902) [Australian Anglo-Boer War soldier and poet] 'Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!' (To the firing squad that executed him.)
Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973) 'Drink to me.'
Rhodes, Cecil John (1853-1902) 'So little done, so much to do.'
Rodgers, James W. ( -1960) [American criminal] 'Why yes, a bulletproof vest!' (On his final request before the firing squad.)
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945) 'I have a terrific headache.'
Sanders, George (1906-1972) 'Dear World, I am leaving you because I am bored. I am leaving you with your worries. Good luck.' (His suicide note.)
Sedgwick, John (1813-1864) 'Nonsense, they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance.' (In response to a suggestion that he should not show himself over the parapet during the Battle of the Wilderness.)
Senna (Da Silva), Ayrton (1960-1994) [Formula One Race Driver] 'The car seems OK...' [A few seconds later his steering column broke and he died when his car hit the wall.]
Stein, Gertrude (1874-1946) 'Just before she [Stein] died she asked, `What _is_ the answer?' No answer came. She laughed and said, `In that case what is the question?' Then she died.'
Thomas, Dylan (1914-1953) 'I have just had eighteen whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record.'
Thoreau, Henry David (1817-1862)
`Have you made your peace with your God?'
`I never quarreled with my God.'
`But aren't you concerned about the next world?'
`One world at a time.'
(Discussion with his aunt on his deathbed)
Villa, Francisco `Pancho' (1878-1923) 'Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something.'
Wells, H. G. (1866-1946) 'Go away... I'm all right.'
Emmett, Christopher Scott (1972-2008) 'Tell my family and friends I love them, tell the governor he just lost my vote. Y'all hurry this along, I'm dying to get out of here.' (Just before his execution in Virginia; he challenged the legality of lethal injections as cruel and unusual punishment, but a federal appeals court rejected his claims.)
Huey P. Long (governor in Louisiana, was murdered) .I wonder why he shot me?
Peter the Great (Tsar of Russia) Give back everything to....
Timothy Leary 'Why not, why not, why not' and 'Yeah.' -
Ludwig von Beethoven: Friends applaud, the comedy is over. - (The comedy wasn't his life; he was referring to the ministrations of a priest, who his family insisted on letting in to perform the last rites for Beethoven, who was an atheist)
Terry Kath: (rock musician, played Russian roulette) Don't worry! It's not loaded.
Elizabeth I: All my possessions for a moment of time -
Richard Feynman: I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring. -
WC Fields (His accountant was standing by his deathbed.) 'So I have enough money to buy every child in NYC a new bicycle?' When told he was correct, Fields said, 'Well, fuck 'em.'
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, in July 1978, shortly before he was overthrown by the Islamic revolution: Nobody can overthrow me. I have 700,000 troops, all the workers and most of the people. Wherever I go, there are fantastic demonstrations of support. --
Marcel Marceau: Dying is easy... Comedy is hard.
Betty Allen (who worked until her death at 93): Call the office and tell them I won't be in on Monday. --
Jimi Hendrix (last words in a poem found next to him on his deathbed): The story of life is quicker than the blink of an eye … The story of love is hello and goodbye … Until we meet again.
Voltaire (on his deathbed, in response to a priest who asked him to renounce Satan): Now, now my good man, this is no time to be making enemies.
Jimmy Glass (before being executed): 'I'd rather be fishing.'
Winston Churchill: I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
Andrew Bradford (American book-publisher): Oh Lord, forgive the misprints!
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