On July 20, 2007, Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner passed from this earth after an 11-year battle with cancer. She died in her new home in Kansas City, and on July 21 a family ceremony was held at a private ceremony, where her ashes were interred. She was 65 years young, and still a believer in the Lord and his wonder.
I remember growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in Vermont when the local ABC station used to show The PTL Club both early in the morning and late at night. I didn't watch it daily, but whenever I did, I was glued to it. "What a wonderful, loving woman," were always my thoughts when Tammy Faye was on the screen. Unlike the other televangelists of the day - Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and so many others - Tammy Faye was a woman of honest faith and love. She broke many Reaganites to welcome gay men and AIDS patients into her world. Even in her later years, when she was a star on The Surreal Life, she befriended porn star Ron Jeremy. Though she may not have agreed with his lifestyle, she still had love for the man.
It is that true dedication to the words of Jesus that will be missed, along with her constant optimism. And, of course, we'll miss that outrageous laugh and we'll never forget the makeup.
Following are three clips of Tammy Faye's last interview on Larry King Live...
Tammy Faye, I'm sure you're as happy now in Heaven as you were here on Earth. Fly with the angels, my dear!
UPDATE: I watched The Eyes of Tammy Faye last night, and I highly recommend it. While not a groundbreaking documentary by any stretch, it really gives the story of Tammy Faye through all the trials and tribulations of launching the original 700 Club , Trinity Broadcast Network, and finally the whole PTL fiasco. And through it all, you see Tammy's unwavering faith in the Lord as her guide. Again, if you're at all interested in Tammy, watch this movie.
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