Unsettling Weight
People’s final words often carry a powerful and sometimes unsettling weight, leaving a deep impression on those who hear them. These last expressions can linger in the minds of listeners, becoming unforgettable moments that resonate long after they are spoken.
On Reddit, users have gathered to share some of the most eerie and memorable last words they have encountered. From medical professionals to caregivers, these chilling final statements reveal a haunting glimpse into the moments before death, capturing the attention and curiosity of many.
Coming To Take Her Away
I cared for an elderly woman whose health rapidly declined over a week. During this time, she frequently asked me to read the Bible to her, but each time I began, she would suddenly scream. She claimed that someone was standing behind me, coming to take her away. When I asked who it was, her chilling answer was, "The Devil's coming for me because I let my husband hurt our kids and did nothing."
What followed was even more unsettling. This woman appeared to possess a strange sense of clairvoyance, expressing a deep certainty that she would soon be reunited with her son. Her eerie awareness of her impending fate left a lasting impression on me.
Unbeknownst To Her
A few years back, I was looking after my grandmother during her final days. Unbeknownst to her, my uncle had tragically taken his own life the previous night. Suddenly, she looked at me and said, "I'm going to see my son now." The chill that ran through me was undeniable—how could she have known something no one had told her?
This eerie moment left me wondering if she had another son I never knew about. Interestingly, another patient experienced a similar premonition. When the nurse uncovered the truth the following day, she was equally shocked by the uncanny foresight.
Assisted Living Community
I have been a nurse for many years, and during my time working in an assisted living community’s dementia and Alzheimer's unit, I formed a special bond with one patient. As his health declined, I visited him regularly, sharing long conversations and jokes that brightened our days. However, in the final two weeks of his life, he became completely silent and unresponsive, no longer engaging with those around him.
One evening, after completing my medication rounds, I told him I was leaving and would see him the next day. To my surprise, he looked at me, smiled, and said, "You look like an angel." This moment was deeply touching, especially since he hadn’t been lucid for weeks. Sadly, he passed away that night. This experience reminded me that even when loved ones seem unresponsive, they may still be aware in ways we don’t expect.
Stayed By Her Side
The night my grandmother was taken off life support, my father and grandfather stayed by her side, wanting to be with her during her final moments. They believed she had been unconscious and unaware for the entire week. Early the next morning, as my dad went to get breakfast, my grandma suddenly woke up, looked at my grandpa, and said, "Buy the new golf clubs. I love you," before peacefully passing away.
The night before, my dad and grandpa had been discussing how my grandfather’s golf clubs were over 20 years old and that he was thinking about getting a new set. Her final words were unexpectedly clear and meaningful, carrying a poignant message that reflected their recent conversation. Sometimes, a person’s last words can hold mysterious significance, hinting at deeper emotions or unspoken thoughts, much like the story that follows.
Fell Silent
I sat beside my grandfather’s deathbed when, unexpectedly, he suddenly sat up and said, “July 21st, 2016. Don’t do it.” After that, he fell silent for two hours before peacefully passing away. My grandfather was a remarkable, fully sane man who had been battling lung cancer. No one anticipated that he would die that day. He had called the family together, simply wanting to see us, and I remember vividly how he lay in his small trailer bed, looking frail but content.
He asked to speak with me alone, and when I entered, he smiled warmly but his grip was weak and cold. Looking me in the eyes, his smile faded and he warned quietly, “Listen to me. July 21st, 2016. Don’t do it.” After a long silence, I left the room. Hours later, he passed away with tears marking his cheeks. Whether his final words were a warning or something else, they remain a haunting mystery.
Providing Hospice
I spent over ten years working in a nursing home, providing hospice, rehab, and long-term care. One patient, a man who had served in the Army Film Unit in Los Angeles during active combat, was nearing the end of his life. Sensing he might not survive the night, I chose to stay with him and engage in conversation. He remained clear-headed and shared stories from his past, including his presence at the "Zoot Suit Riots." He confessed to having taken a man’s life during that time but was never prosecuted. Despite my research, I found no records of any deaths linked to those events. He also reminisced about a lively encounter with Rosemary Clooney at a bar on Sunset Boulevard.
Another memorable moment came from a different patient whose final words were surprisingly simple yet impactful. While on her deathbed, she took the opportunity to correct a long-held misunderstanding about herself, proving that last words don’t always need to be profound to leave a lasting impression.
Nearly A Century
My great-grandmother led a long, eventful life, spanning nearly a century. She was in her twenties during the Great Depression, a time about which little is known, including the identity of her first husband. What stands out most about her later years was her unusual collection of owl-themed items. Her home was filled with thousands of owl figurines and various objects—from clocks and lamps to potholders and stained glass art—all celebrating these birds. The family always wondered about the significance of the owls, but she never explained, and everyone simply accepted her fascination.
In her final days, when she was around 98 or 99, my grandparents asked if she wanted to share any thoughts. To their surprise, she admitted she never truly understood the owls herself. The collection began in the 1940s or 50s with a pair of owl salt and pepper shakers, which sparked a steady stream of owl gifts from others. Over decades, the owl theme took over her belongings, not from obsession but from the goodwill of those around her. Her last words, though not profound, brought lightness and humor to a somber moment.
Small Town Auction
My dad had a passion for small-town auctions, always bringing home boxes of items sold to the lowest bidder. Over time, his collection grew so large that it filled both the garage and the workshop behind the house. He often promised my mom that one day he would hold a huge garage sale or even his own auction to clear everything out.
A few years ago, my mom’s cancer returned, and this time the battle was much harder. Just two weeks before she passed, I sat with her in the hospital. We had said all that needed to be said, and as she stared at the ceiling, she joked, “Thank God, at least I won’t have to deal with your dad’s stuff.” We both laughed, sharing a moment of lightness amid the pain. Her next words weren’t important, but they were hilarious, giving us one last joyful memory together.
Not A Nurse
I’m not a nurse or doctor, and the person in this story wasn’t exactly a patient—it was my grandpa, who had Alzheimer’s disease. One day, while helping him into bed, we accidentally bent his painful knees the wrong way. He immediately shouted, “IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN, I’LL PUNCH YOU IN THE NUTS!” I couldn’t help but laugh, and shortly after, his blood pressure dropped, and he passed away peacefully in his sleep. He had always been a funny man, so it felt fitting that his last words were so humorously bold.
Throughout his illness, my grandpa often said aggressive things without realizing it. For example, he once took my phone from the picnic table, forgetting he had it, which caused a brief panic until we found it ringing in his pocket. Another time, when I told him I was studying nursing, he bluntly said, “I knew you looked like a wimp!” He also had a habit of burning people repeatedly with his coffee spoon, laughing each time as if it were a joke. These quirky moments captured his unique spirit, even in his final days.
Too Many To Keep Track Of
Firefighters and paramedics are here. Thanks to these jobs, I've seen way more than my fair share of active passings over the years. Many of these passings involved creepy, strange, or eerie last words coming from the patients. But this one stuck with me. A 36-year-old that we coded last week waited till he was on his last conscious breath.
Then he said, "I'm going down, guys. I'm going down". He went into V-fib and didn't come back out of it. I also had a man once in the emergency room who coded, and we shocked him and got a rhythm back. He then woke up and asked if he had passed. We told him that he temporarily had. Then he started crying and said he had just seen the face of God. Our next Redditor heard the story of the strangest dream. They may very well have been her grandfather's last words from beyond the grave.
A Cross-Dimensional Conversation
This isn't technically about last words per se, but very much related. One night, I was having a few quiet drinks with a friend and some of his friends that I didn't really know. I ended up having a conversation with this girl who told me a pretty creepy story about something that had just happened to her recently. It started off with her having a dream, but it turned into a living nightmare. She had it the night before about her grandad, who had already passed about a year earlier. In the dream, her grandad was sitting on her bed, telling her to "Call Grandma and tell her not to do it. You must not let her do it!" She had no idea what he was talking about. She woke up the next morning, dropped her boyfriend off at work, and then came home.
She then dozed off back to sleep for a little bit. Two hours later, her mother phoned her to say that grandma had just hung herself. The girl was on the verge of tears when she told me this, and it still gives me goosebumps to this day. Even while I'm writing this, I can hardly contain my emotions. Sometimes people briefly come back from cardiac arrest and say exactly what they saw. This often spooks those around them.
It Was Lights Out For Grandma
My friend Tom had a grandma who was a real hippy. She had traveled all over the world with three young boys in the 60s. My friend was also a total hippy himself as a teenager and doted on his grandma with all his heart. They spoke about everything in life. At a ripe old age, she lay on her deathbed in a hospital and flatlined with her sons around her.
But she wasn't actually decreased. A few moments later, she let out a gasp and said, "Tell Tom I never saw the light," and took her last breath. This next set of last words was just apologetic. It wasn't profound, but it still made our next Redditor cry.
His Words Made Me Cry
I was a scrub nurse. My job was to assist the surgeon during surgeries. I was preparing an elderly patient for a pretty high-risk surgery. There was a good chance he was going to be fine, but there was also a decent chance things were going to go south, and he knew that. While the CRNA was doing her thing, getting the anesthesia ready, I was standing next to the patient going over his chart and the signed releases. Then, he said to me, "I need you to tell my wife I'm sorry for all the times I raised my voice at her. There weren't many times. But right now, I wish there weren't any". That was the first time I ever got choked up at the bedside. I so badly wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay, but no one knew if it was going to be.
So, I said back to him, "I'll do anything you need me to, but right now, let's think about some happy memories before you go under." I asked him to tell me about his and his wife's first date. Once he was under, I excused myself before scrubbing in to stop myself from crying. Sometimes all last words need to be are ones that leave a smile on a loved one's face. This is exactly what happened to our next Redditor.
Spending Spree
My friend's grandpa was always known to be a loving but stern man. He used to drink and sleep a lot. When the end was near, he asked my friend to come closer. He told him something that left a smile on his face: "I've left a lot of money to you. Life's not worth it. Spend it all. Spend it all on ladies of the night and illicit substances".
He passed away about a week later. I don't know if he did spend it on what his grandpa said, but he did spend it. The next Redditor had their grandmother regain her senses near the end. Despite her dementia, her final words were fully comprehensible.
Dear John
My grandma suffered from dementia for many years before she passed. It got so bad she didn't remember who any of her family were and would barricade herself in her home because she was scared of everyone. She even forgot she smoked and would find her smokes months later after she forgot where they were and claimed she was desperate for one. The only memories she had left at the end were of her sister being able to play the piano beautifully and that her husband—her childhood sweetheart—was gone, but she didn't know where. He had passed some time earlier. She spent her days waiting for him to come home from wherever he was. She would say, "My John will be home soon."
Or someone would walk past the window, and she would do a double-take and say, "Thought that was my John." It was heartbreaking watching her deteriorate until she was near the end, unaware of anything or anyone. I went to say my goodbyes to her in the hospital, and she held my hand and told me how much she loved me. But then she said how she was ready to go be with John now. At that moment, she remembered who I was, what was happening to her, and that her husband, my grandad, was gone already. Not long after that, she closed her eyes forever. Sometimes when people are about to go. They can claim that they see the light or angels coming for them. This next story is heartbreaking.
And The Angels Sing
This family that I know lost their infant son to cancer when he was only three years old. It was a horrible and very sad story, and I can't even imagine how much pain these people have gone through.
His last words on this earth were: "Mama, papa, I see them. The angels!" He said this, and then he immediately went to sleep. His parents held him tight until he passed. It's probably the saddest story I've ever heard. Sometimes last words can lead to something incredible. Our next Redditor's grandfather's last words led them to an amazing secret.
He Had A Tale To Tell
Around the time my grandfather was really declining, he started making strange remarks about a group of people who we were unfamiliar with. He was telling us a lot of battle stories, as well as the word "Kitchens" over and over. He started talking about "Kitchens," and we just thought it was ramblings and nonsense. After he passed, we cleaned out his house. While we did this, we came upon an old family book that was handwritten by his grandfather. Its contents stunned us. It was about the Denver bootleggers, focusing on a certain character who managed to run one of the bigger bootlegging operations in the area during the Prohibition era. Then, we came across some pictures in a box with a bunch of pins and a sash that was from the Masons. The pictures all had my grandfather and his father posing with family members, as well as a random old guy dressed in what can only be described as a 1940s-era suit and hat that made him look like an old-school bandit. We then found out that there was a house that my aunt used to go to when she was a very young child that was supposedly owned by that old man in the photos.
When I did some scoping on the property, it did not have a registered number on the street it resided on. Instead, it was registered as an address that was one block over. The house had no real address, and it was owned by a company that was run by some guy that my aunt and mom knew to be related to us in some way, shape, or form. At this point, we believed that "Kitchens'' was actually a pseudonym for someone my grandfather was associated with within the Masons. This "Kitchens" fellow may be the man in the photos, as well as the inspiration for the main character in the handwritten book we found buried in the closet. People with dementia often say the strangest things. Our next Redditor just learned to play along.
She Was A Wild Thing
One of the most challenging moments I had was with a patient—a woman in her 80s—who had advanced dementia and was trying to recover from a severe bed sore that had gone septic. She often confused me with her second husband because, according to her daughter, I looked a lot like him. The patient would often talk about "our" kinky exploits—including swinging and partner swapping—as well as very wild "adventures." I had given up on trying to tell her I was not her husband because it just confused her and upset her, so I learned to play along.
She talked to me often about "our" children and other family members, as well as many other tamer adventures she had with her husband. It made her happy to talk about it, and she often left me with a smile. Sometimes people who know it's their time still try to think of making their family's life easier. That's exactly what happened in this next story.
The Days Of The Week
I don't care that I'm not a nurse. This was said by my dad to the nurse as he was passing. So close enough as far as I'm concerned. Backstory: my dad had MS. He'd had it since he was 18 years old. He was diagnosed when he was twenty. He married my mom at 24, had me at 29, and passed just fifteen days short of turning 45. Six months before that, he was put in hospice. He and my mom were discussing funeral arrangements, and my mom jokingly said, "You know, Tim, the best thing you could do would be to pass on a Wednesday. That way, we can have the body prepared on Thursday, the viewing on Friday, and the memorial on Saturday, so that more people can come." The morning we got the call that it was time, my mom, two sisters, and I was about five minutes too late. After we said our goodbyes, the nurse pulled my mom aside and asked if that day had any significance. It wasn't even 6:00 in the morning yet, so our mom didn't even know what day it was, much less whether it was important. The nurse tells her it's May 21st.
No, nothing was coming to mind. The nurse told her that the previous day, he kept asking what day it was, and they'd tell him it was the 20th. He'd look irritated but accept it. That morning, he asked what day it was, and they said, "It's Wednesday, May 21st". That was when he smiled, squeezed his favorite nurse's hand, and was gone almost immediately. It was Memorial Day weekend, and we did just as he and my mom had planned. And despite many friends being out of town for a holiday, we had over 250 people show up at the memorial service for him, overflowing the tiny church more than it had ever been filled. On his final day, he was trying to make things easier for our family. I miss him. One patient, on their final night, told their caretaker something they'd kept to themselves for years. Just before they passed, they made a tragic confession.
Homesick
In my first year as a nurse, I worked in palliative care. I had a patient who was 28 years old and lost her battle with cancer. She moved from Canada to be with her boyfriend, who left her a year after moving. We weren't expecting her to deteriorate so fast. I held her hand as she passed alone without her family or friends. Right before she passed, she made a tragic confession.
She told me she wished she had never left Canada and cried. Her family was overseas and couldn't make it in time. Here's another person who came back from cardiac arrest and had some thoughts on what she saw in the afterlife. It definitely left an impression on our Redditor.
Cruising Down The River
Massage therapist here. It was my first final massage, although they are called different things in different places, so I'm not sure everyone will know what that means. Regardless, my first time was with this little old lady that was known to speak her mind. She was as sweet as they come but would let you have it if she felt there was any reason to. I was giving her a massage with a soundtrack that imitated a cruise line since going on cruises was her passion in life. She was breathing short, ragged breaths. After a while, she simply passed on, and I called for our house doctor to come and deal with the situation. Her pulse was checked and was found to be nonexistent. But what happened next shocked all of us.
About five minutes later, as the family was talking to us and dealing with her passing, she suddenly started breathing again, leaned up, and said: "Oh God, they're so freaking happy up there!" Before we even had a chance to react to this development, she passed all over again. It was definitely a strange and memorable experience. Another old lady that was passing on decided to tell her caretaker her secret. She would spill everything.
Straight From The Horse's Mouth
I had a woman who was over 100 years old tell me she had been badly tormented by her first husband. She was stuck in the marriage because of the culture at that time. He'd been thrown from a horse—that he'd also been very mean to—and kicked several times. She ignored his cries for help and let him perish.
She said she had never told anyone about it, but she felt guilty about it for over 80 years and could still hear him screaming for help. It was terrifying. One patient's last set of words was strange, to say the least. She definitely wasn't speaking to the caregiver.
Keeping The Guests Happy
I work as a palliative care nurse at a local hospital. One time, my patient was slipping in and out of consciousness and would mumble words, but you couldn't understand what she was trying to say. During her last few minutes of life, suddenly, she opened her eyes widely and looked right at me, fully alert. I suddenly gave her my full and undivided attention. In a fully serious tone, she said, "Thank you for coming. I am sorry, but I am going to be poor company. I love you".
All I could do was kiss her forehead and tell her that I loved her too. She passed later that same day, not too long after this incident. I am not sure who she thought was standing there, but I am pretty sure it wasn't me. Our next Redditor's great-grandmother had some strange last words. But nobody knew at the time that it was a premonition.
She Knew Something Was Up
When my great-grandma was on her last legs, she was convinced that my mom was having a baby. She wanted to know if it was a girl or a boy, but this is where it gets weird. My mom replied by telling her that she was not pregnant. After asking the same to my aunt, she said, "Oh, guess I was wrong."
Here's where it gets unsettling. Exactly nine months later, I was born. The next person that passed told their caretaker that they could see someone in the room. Let's just hope that it was someone they liked.
Two Of A Kind
I work in oncology and in hospice care. If any of you have ever worked in the medical field, then you'll know that passings often seem to happen in groups of three. I'm not even joking. It just always seems to be the case. This one lady was going to be our second passing of the evening. I was sitting with her while her family took a break. She kept on looking at the corner chair where no one was sitting. I asked her what she was looking at, and she said, "Oh, it's just Charlie! He's waiting for me. We're going to go together."
She never said another word and passed shortly after. It may have seemed like a normal thing because many people "see things" before they pass, but here's the detail that unlocks it all: Charlie was patient number one who had passed earlier in the shift. The next Redditor's Nan was on her final legs and was mostly unresponsive. But she woke up immediately with one key phrase.
Little Darling
My nanny always called people "my darling." It was kind of her thing. She was lying in her bed at the hospice facility, pretty unresponsive to anything anyone was saying save for a few head nods when asked if she needed more meds. I was leaving to head back to my university soon, and I kind of had a feeling that it would be the last time I ever saw her alive. I held her hand and told her I was leaving, and she didn't say anything. I teared up a bit and just kind of laid my head over on her hands and just said, "I love you, Nanny." To my shock, she immediately replied. "I love you too, baby darlin'."
As soon as I got to school that night, I sat down at my desk, and my mom called to tell me that she had passed. I couldn't have asked for a better last conversation with her. Another Redditor experienced their grandfather having full control of his senses even though he had Alzheimer's. He had some wonderful parting words.
He Saw The End Clear As Day
One day, the whole family was with my grandparents. My grandpa had Alzheimer's, and we were practicing the piano together when he suddenly said something out of nowhere. He said, "I'm going to die soon, but it's so nice that we gathered here today and are able to see each other one last time." I just smiled and said I would definitely come back next Sunday, and he didn't have to worry.
My grandfather had a cerebral hemorrhage the next day and went into a coma. He was in a coma for four days before he would finally leave this earth. I believe that on that particular day, he knew for one last time who he really was, who we were, and that his end was coming soon. Our next set of last words was of regret. It was a father that wished his son could know how he really felt.
It Was All Hard To Accept
My friend had a patient who was hours from the end. He told her, "The only thing I regret in life is not telling my baby boy that I accept him." It didn't hit hard until she was told that the patient's son was a transgender male. Sadly, the man lost his life at just 50 years old to terminal cancer.
In the end, he never got a chance to tell his son that. I just hope his son knew, regardless. Another set of last words led to a grandchild learning the startling truth. It was about a child who had been given up for adoption.
Her Confusion Eventually Led To The Truth
A couple of days before my grandmother passed, she was really confused. She talked about my mother having a child a year or so after my own birth who was given up for adoption. She was talking about how sad and horrible this was and that I deserved to know. After my grandmother passed, I confronted my mom about it, who denied it, and I truly believed her.
A couple of months later, I found out the sad truth. My grandmother was the one who had put up a child for adoption. It was a baby girl who was born between my mother and aunt.