'Last Lecture' Professor Randy Pausch Is Dead

Jai Pausch is the wife of “Last Lecture” author, Randy Pausch. Randy’s lecture became an internet sensation and his words were an inspiration to millions. Sadly, Randy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 47 in his family’s home in Chesapeake, Virginia. Randy and his wife appeared on “Good Morning America” with Diane Sawyer. You can see several videos and interviews with both Jai and Randy here. Randy also made an appearance on Oprah. All for a speech he says was written, not for the people who attended or the millions who watched on the internet, but solely for his three children.

“I think it’s great that so many people have benefited from this lecture, but the truth of the matter is that I didn’t really even give it to the 400 people at Carnegie Mellon who came. I only wrote this lecture for three people, and when they’re older, they’ll watch it,”It was Randy’s goal to create memories for his family when he was no longer here.

Jai Glasgow was a literature graduate student who met Randy at a lecture. He was 37 and had never been married. According to his own family, Randy was quite a ladies man. But Jai was different.“When I met Jai, things just completely changed.”It was seven years after their wedding, August 2006, that Randy received the news from doctors about having incurable pancreatic cancer. Almost a year later, September 18, 2007, Randy delivered “The Last Lecture” at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007. After the overwhelming out pour of letters and the incouragement of Jai, Randy turned his lecture into a book.

“We just felt . . . if I can find some way to make lemonade for somebody else out of these lemons, then let’s do that,” he said.There is one very touching part of the book that occured during the lecture itself and involved Jai. The day before he gave the speech was Jai’s birthday so Randy recognized it during his lecture. A cake with a large candle was brought out and the audience sang Happy Birthday. Jai came onstage and hugged Randy. She then whispered something to him. In the book, Pausch reveals Jai said, “Please don’t die.”“Jai wanted that in. She felt that was important. What Jai wants, Jai gets.”

I read Randy’s story one morning while having breakfast in a hotel. I had no realization of the national attention he had already received. I just thought the exerpts included in that article were amazing. I ripped out the little portion on “Look for the Best in Everyone.” That torn, wrinkled piece of newspaper is still tacked on the bulletin board at my desk. My heart goes out to the entire family. Along with Jai, Randy is survived by their three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe.