Speaking At Your Own Funeral

At a funeral this week, attended by many dignitaries, famous athletes and coaches who all could have spoken flowering eulogies of the deceased, there was a very unique speaker. Kay Yow, long time women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University, spoke at her own funeral by way of video tape. Yow who has battled breast cancer since being diagnosed with it in 1987, died just last weekend. She was 66 years old.

Pat Summit, University of Tennessee’s well-known women’s basketball coach and longtime friend of Yow said, “I have never known of a service like this . . . and it would be just like Kay to be the absolute first.” "Obviously I don't think there was a person in that room that wasn't touched and probably affected by her words." She also called the tape, “amazing”.

In the 25 minute video tape, Yow thanked many who encouraged her through the 20-year battle with cancer and then shared her faith in Jesus Christ. She said, “It has changed my life and has changed the life of every person who has accepted Him.” She concluded with the words, “And now I say farewell. It has been a wonderful journey, especially since the time I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”

Yow’s accomplishments as a basketball coach were outstanding, but the influence she had on everyone who knew her was even greater. She led the U.S. Women’s Basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in 1988, won more than 700 games in her career, and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002. She spent 38 seasons as a coach (34 with NC State), won four ACC tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four once, in 1998. Her greater accomplishments were probably in raising awareness and money for cancer research while continuing to coach her team through the physical effects of the cancer and the chemotherapy treatments. “Her battle with breast cancer was never about herself”, said Megan Smith, who works with the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer fund in Atlanta. “She was such a courageous and humble person at the same time.” Yow also served on the board of the "V Foundation" for Cancer Research which was founded by ESPN and her friend and colleague, former NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993.

Yow admitted that taping the message for her own funeral was “actually sort of eerie”, but said she first felt compelled to tape a message after doctors diagnosed a recurrence of breast cancer in 2004. "I don't want you to fret over the fact that I'm not here or question why I'm not here," Yow said. "Because God knows what he's doing. He doesn't make mistakes. ... I have now a place in heaven with him."

Yow’s dying words certainly should cause all of us to reflect on what is really important in life and on our own eternal destiny. The Bible speaks clearly of how one can know for certain that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that heaven will be their eternal home.

Read more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ here.

Read more about this unique funeral here.