Rebecca Gibney has shared a heartbreaking tribute following the death of her mother, Shirley Gibney, last Sunday. The New Zealand-Australian actor said that she has spent the last week coming to terms with the “unfathomable loss” of her 91-year-old mother.
“We are utterly heartbroken at the loss of our beautiful mother Shirley Gibney. Mama Shirl,” Rebecca said on Saturday. “I know mum would want to thank everyone for the love, compassion and kindness they have shown her through the years. And that’s because Mum represented everything that is good in the world.
Shirley Gibney’s Legacy of Kindness
“She was forgiving, and kind, generous to a fault, and always put others before herself. Mum overcame so much in her life because she had a deep faith that was unbreakable. She believed that life would always get better — no matter what you are going through. You just have to trust in the knowledge that light will always follow the dark, that good will prevail and love is really all that matters.
“So to honour Shirley, please keep your face toward the light, show forgiveness and compassion. Love one another. And wherever possible do something to brighten someone else’s day. Be Kind. I’m not sure how I will navigate life without my Mum but I am so grateful I was blessed to have her as my angel on earth for so long. And I will miss her beyond words.”
Close Relationship and Reflections on Aging
Rebecca often mentioned her mother in interviews, and on social media, offering glimpses into their close relationship, and Shirley’s resilience through hardship in life. She also shared her mother’s thoughts on aging when she posted a series of photos of Shirley’s life, showing side-by-sides of her mother both in 2023 and when she was younger.
“I asked mum the other day how she was feeling, and she said the problem with ageing is you look in the mirror and you don’t recognise who is staring back at you because inside you still feel the same as when you were young,” she said at the time. “It’s really stuck with me as I look at social media and the world at large encouraging us to stay young, look young, do what it takes to be young and while I agree we should do our best to make the very most of what we’ve been given, our time on this planet is so limited.”
