Steve Jobs Final Words: 'Oh Wow, Oh Wow, Oh Wow'

Steve Jobs' final words before he died was 'OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.' wrote his sister Mona Simpson in the New York Times today. It's a really touching eulogy.

There are a couple of things I realized recently about death: For illnesses such as cancer, the body pretty much "shuts down" in the end. The idea that someone is "fighting" to stay alive is something to make us left behind feel better about the person leaving us. At some point during the shut down process, the person is really no longer himself/herself as the brain and other organs are no longer functioning like they used to. Steve Jobs' sister describes those final moments quite accurately, with a lot of reverence for her brother of course.

The other realization, which is obvious/not-obvious, is we will all end up the same way -- which is dead at some point. People react to this painful reality differently of course. A lot of people pray. Personally, I prefer to live.

Read some excerpts:

From New York Times:

Tuesday morning, he called me to ask me to hurry up to Palo Alto. His tone was affectionate, dear, loving, but like someone whose luggage was already strapped onto the vehicle, who was already on the beginning of his journey, even as he was sorry, truly deeply sorry, to be leaving us.

He started his farewell and I stopped him. I said, “Wait. I’m coming. I’m in a taxi to the airport. I’ll be there.”

“I’m telling you now because I’m afraid you won’t make it on time, honey.”

When I arrived, he and his Laurene were joking together like partners who’d lived and worked together every day of their lives. He looked into his children’s eyes as if he couldn’t unlock his gaze.

Read more at New York Times