Kelly Lynch, a close friend of the late actress Catherine O'Hara, has offered a heartfelt glimpse into O'Hara's memorial service, held earlier this month. Lynch, 67, shared details on Instagram this Monday, just over two weeks after O'Hara's passing at age 71 on January 30.
A Somber Tribute to a Beloved Star
Lynch posted a photo of the program distributed at O'Hara's celebration of life, which featured a nostalgic black-and-white image of O'Hara from her youth. In the photo, the Schitt's Creek star is dressed as a cheerleader, wearing a school sweater and a plaid miniskirt, beaming with her hands framing her face as her hair blows in the breeze.
Accompanying the image, Lynch wrote, 'Rest in peace darling Catherine,' and quoted Raymond Carver's poem Late Fragment, a six-line piece composed by Carver as he was dying from cancer. The poem poignantly reflects on life's fulfillment, asking if one got what they wanted and affirming the value of being loved.
Revealing the Cause of Death
This tribute comes shortly after O'Hara's cause of death was disclosed. According to a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office obtained by TMZ, O'Hara died from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs, with rectal cancer listed as the underlying cause. This marks the first public acknowledgment that the Hollywood icon had been battling cancer.
A pulmonary embolism typically results from a blood clot that travels from the leg or pelvis, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis. Risk factors include surgery, prolonged immobility, cancer, pregnancy, hormone therapy, and smoking. Rectal cancer originates in the rectum, the final segment of the large intestine.
O'Hara's Health and Final Days
Earlier in her life, O'Hara was diagnosed with dextrocardia with situs inversus, a rare condition where the heart is positioned on the right side of the chest. Her family initially described her passing as due to a 'brief illness.' On the morning of her death, an ambulance was called to her Brentwood, Los Angeles home around 5 a.m., and she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
O'Hara's last public appearance was at the Angel Awards in Santa Monica on October 16 last year, where a guest noted she appeared slender but in good spirits. She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their sons, Matthew and Luke, who held a private celebration of life.
A Storied Career in Film and Television
Born in Toronto, Canada, O'Hara began acting in a Nativity play and later worked as a waitress at the Second City Theater, where she met comedians like Dan Aykroyd. She joined the company in 1974, despite feeling anxious on stage, and rose to fame on the sketch show Second City Television in the 1980s, known for impressions of celebrities such as Meryl Streep.
Her film career launched in 1980 with Double Negative, and she achieved iconic roles in Beetlejuice (1988) as Delia Deetz and in Home Alone (1990) as Macaulay Culkin's mother. She reprised her role in Home Alone 2 and starred in other hits like Best in Show and the 2024 Beetlejuice sequel.
In 2020, O'Hara won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Schitt's Creek, also earning a Golden Globe and SAG Award. In her acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude for playing a character who fully embraced her age and authenticity.
Lynch, best known for roles in Cocktail and Roadhouse, also shared additional photos of O'Hara, including a still from a meeting with Seth Rogen and an older black-and-white shot, honoring her friend's legacy in the entertainment industry.
