Farrah Fawcett left a brilliant legacy following her death.

Fawcett, known for her ultra-voluminous waves, was discovered by an agency while attending the University of Texas at Austin, according to her Farrah Fawcett Foundation biography. In 1968, she relocated to Hollywood from Texas and secured a modeling contract.

It wasn’t until 1976, when she starred in the television series Charlie’s Angels alongside Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, that Fawcett gained widespread recognition. She has garnered three Emmy nominations for her acting work, including The Guardian, Small Sacrifices, and The Burning Bed.

Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 and certified cancer-free on her 60th birthday, February 2, 2007, according to her charity. However, three months later, Fawcett’s doctor discovered that the cancer had spread to her liver.

Fawcett and her friend Alana Stewart documented her entire cancer battle. The video footage was turned into an Emmy-nominated documentary called Farrah’s Story, which the late celebrity co-produced. It was published in May 2009, shortly before Fawcett’s death on June 25, 2009.

On the 16th anniversary of her death, here’s everything you need to know about how Farrah Fawcett died and her last years.

Fawcett died on June 25, 2009, after three years of living with anal cancer. In October 2006, she made a public announcement about her illness.

“Throughout my life, I have had a great belief in the ability of the human spirit to overcome misfortune. “I strongly believe in one’s own positive will to overcome even the most difficult challenges,” Fawcett wrote.

She went on: “I am resolutely strong, and I am determined to bite the bullet and fight the fight while going through the next six weeks of cutting-edge, state-of-the-art treatment.”

In February 2007, Fawcett received radiation and chemotherapy and was confirmed cancer-free. However, her cancer reappeared a few months later, in May. Fawcett then sought alternative therapies in Germany, mixing chemotherapy with holistic healing techniques.

Fawcett passed away on June 25, 2009, at 9:28 a.m. PT, after suffering from the condition for two years.

Stewart, Fawcett’s longtime lover Ryan O’Neal, friend Mela Murphy, and doctor Lawrence Piro were at her side when she passed away.

Fawcett died at the St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. She had returned to the medical institution just before her death to be treated for anal cancer problems.

“She is gone. “She now belongs to the ages,” O’Neal told PEOPLE back then. “She’s now with her mother and sister and her God.”

He went on, “I loved her with my whole heart. I shall miss her so much. She went in and out of consciousness. I chatted to her throughout the night. I told her how much I loved her. “She is in a better place now.”

O’Neal died from congestive heart failure on December 8, 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times. Redmond O’Neal, the late couple’s son, survives them.

Fawcett was 62 when she died. She had her final birthday on February 2, 2009, barely four months before she died.

Fawcett’s final words were an homage to her son, Redmond.

“She was saying his name, ‘Redmond,'” Murphy told PEOPLE. “That was the last thing she said.”

Murphy assured Fawcett that she would “take care of” Redmond, she continued. “I said, ‘You can go now.'” “It was only a few hours before she died,” she explained.

Friends and admirers grieved Fawcett’s death, honoring her legacy in Hollywood.

Her Charlie’s Angels co-star Smith remarked, “Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith.” “And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels.”

Fellow Angel Jackson grieved Fawcett’s death, saying, “I’ll miss Farrah every day. She was a selfless lady who loved her family and friends wholeheartedly, and what a great heart she had.”

She went on to say, “Farrah has shown incredible strength and elegance during her illness, inspiring people around her. When I reflect on Farrah, I will remember her generosity, her sharp wit, and, of course, her lovely smile.”

Fawcett’s co-star in The Apostle, Robert Duvall, also commented on her demise. “Farrah had an outstanding talent, better than most feature-film actresses that I’ve seen,” he told me. “She was great to work with and will be missed.”