Man Shares Heartfelt Obituary for Wife Who Died Suddenly, Goes Viral
Can you imagine loving so much that 36 years together doesn’t seem like enough? At least one grieving widower has been left feeling that way after the sudden and unexpected death of his wife. Stephen Wolfram described himself as being so bereaved that he simply had to share his late wife Elise Cawley’s story.
But his decision to help keep her story alive after her death took a surprising turn when the 4,800-word tribute that Wolfram posted to his own website went viral, leading it to be shared across the world. People magazine even reached out to Wolfram to talk about his late wife, learning even more about what a special relationship the pair had.
“My general point of view was, ‘Elise is gone, That’s terrible. I don’t want her story to be gone, too. So I should try and write what I can about it,’” Wolfram told the outlet.
Now, it sounds like his viral tribute will do exactly what he wanted it to and ensure that Cawley’s story doesn’t get forgotten, and that it’s there for her children and her grandchild when they are ready to read it. That’s something that will likely be especially important for Wolfram, who says that his beloved wife passed away right before their first grandchild was ready to be born.
Cawley Died Unexpectedly After Surgery
The glowing tribute to Cawley became necessary after she died suddenly while recovering from an urgent heart surgery. According to Wolfram, the operation went well and she was sent home to recover. Things were going really well and Cawley attended a party for one of her children virtually, “beaming” on the video call as she watched from afar.
“But then, soon after, disaster struck, and she collapsed, the victim of a massive cardiovascular event,” Wolfram wrote in his tribute. “My only solace in this tragedy is that the end came instantly, after a day filled with nothing but joy.”
The Mother of Four’s Life Was a Noteworthy One
Her life may have ended suddenly one July afternoon, but Wolfram wouldn’t let that stop him from celebrating his bride of 36 years. From her vast intelligence to her stunning career, it sounds like there wasn’t anything Cawley couldn’t do if she wanted to. That included writing her own ticket at school, getting to choose between physics and math.
And when she ultimately decided what she wanted to do, she was given a generous stipend so she could focus on her school work, eventually going on to earn her PhD.
Motherhood Changed Her Life
Wolfram described his late wife as giving everything to their children, using her own words to describe how her mindset changed from that of a brilliant mathematician with a focus on solving problems to a devoted mom, saying “the world overnight had a new center” after her first child was born.
After that the couple welcomed three more children, and they built a home together where they could live their lives. It sounds like those years with a full house and busy schedule were some of the best for Wolfram, who described them all tenderly in his tribute.
Wolfram’s Lengthy Obituary is a Love Letter
The grieving husband says he wrote the post with the help of his daughter, even though he’s an accomplished writer and public speaker. “Generally people’s reaction has been surprisingly positive,” he told People about what it’s been like since the tribute went viral. “It’s not like this is my first writing rodeo, but this is a different kind of writing than I’ve been used to.”
Not only have people responded by sharing their own memories of his wife, but he says a lot of people are also taking this as a reminder of how little time we have with the people we love. Wolfram says a lot of responses have been from people who tell him that they plan to pay more attention to their spouses from now on.
Hopefully, the tribute helps him to deal with the tragic loss of his wife and allows her legacy to live on with their children.
