On Monday September 4, Magda Szubanki’s mother Margaret passed away aged 92.
She was a woman her daughter remembers for her “piss funny” sense of humour, “her kindness and life force” and the way she “lived for” her kids and grandkids.
On Sunday, the day of Margaret’s funeral, Magda wrote a loving tribute to her mum, alongside a short video of her giving a “sarcastic royal wave”.
“And so it is done. The final farewell. We gave her a grand send off – full of love and beauty and humour,” wrote Szubanski.
She thanked her family and friends, as well as all those who supported her on social media, for their words and thoughts in such a difficult time.
Szubanski described the mass as “a perfect expression of mum,” adding that “when the lone piper led her coffin out there was not a dry eye in the church”.
“She did not live a big life. But there was a big life in her,” she wrote. “The power of her life force was palpable. There were few worldly, external achievements. That’s because nothing held the same passion for her as her love for her family.
Listen to Mia Freedman’s interview with Magda Szubanski on No Filter. Post continues after audio.
“Instead she performed the millions of small, seemingly unnoteworthy acts of caring that together comprise the magnum opus of a mother’s love.
“She could be sharp. She could be tricky. But she was the love of my life – a grand and complex woman.”
The comedian, actor and author has shared her raw and touching journey in the last few months, documenting the special moments they spent when she knew her mother was fading.
“She’s often not sure if I’m her mother or her sister or her daughter,” Szubanski wrote in February.
Our thoughts are with the Szubanski family, their friends and loved ones during this time.