A Life Filled with Joy and Laughter
James Valentine, a beloved broadcaster, musician, and author, shared his thoughts on life and death with family and friends during a special gathering. He wanted his final days to be filled with joy, laughter, and happiness after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis earlier this year. “I started to think about the way in which death was so often a time of bitterness, of anger, of regret,” he said. “I don’t want that.”
Valentine spoke at a living wake, an emotional event filmed for an episode of the ABC’s Australian Story that aired on Monday night. During the gathering, he expressed his desire for a positive and joyful end to his life. “I want my last days to be full of joy and happiness and laughter and jokes and humour – all the things I’ve loved through life.”
Valentine’s passing at the age of 64 left a deep impact on Sydney. His death sparked heartfelt tributes from fellow broadcasters and listeners on ABC radio. It also prompted discussions about his decision to hold a living wake and choose voluntary assisted dying (VAD).
A Living Wake on Valentine’s Day
The living wake was held on Valentine’s Day at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club. With 180 guests in attendance, Valentine urged them to share stories of their adventures and silly moments together. “This is a gift that I can take with me into these next months, which are going to be tough,” he said. “This is nourishment for my soul, which I’m getting from you today. So thank you.”
The day after Valentine’s death, his wife, Joanne Corrigan, a clinical psychologist, shared how he made his choice for VAD. “He felt cosy,” she said. “He chose the place in the bed where I sleep all the time. He was like, ‘I want to be here, in this spot. I’m just comfortable.’ It was a very gentle end to the suffering. The three of us said goodbye to him and he was immediately just at peace. It was beautiful.”
Voluntary Assisted Dying: A Civilised Process
On Australian Story, Valentine described his decision to go with VAD as “taking no thought at all.” “There is a great relief in knowing that should things get too bad, you can stop it,” he said. “That’s more for Joanne and the kids as it is for me, really.”
He called VAD “a very civilised process” to cut out suffering at the end of life. “Of course, there’s grief. Of course, there’s been sadness. Of course, I’ve been overwhelmed by despair at various points. But how do you come through that to be largely living in a way that’s more accepting?”
Valentine also expressed his dislike for the Dylan Thomas poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. “How about you go gentle into that good night? What’s with the rage? What’s with the anger?”
Battling Cancer
Valentine first noticed symptoms of what turned out to be cancer in November 2023. “There were a couple of moments when I had trouble swallowing,” he said. “I just thought … ‘I’m an old man, I’m getting indigestion.’ Then I had a night at a party where I sort of scoffed this food. I ended outside on the footpath, like, hanging onto a pole, vomiting. [I thought] ‘Whoa, that’s bad.’”
After tests, he was diagnosed with advanced oesophageal cancer. This led to him stepping away from his program on ABC 702 Sydney, returning after treatment, and eventually retiring from radio after the cancer recurred.
On Australian Story, Valentine recalled the harsh words from an oncologist: “Stage four, terminal, inoperable, uncurable, you’re now basically a palliative patient. I don’t want to hear any of those words, let alone in the one sentence.”
Embracing the End with Gratitude
Despite the challenges, Valentine felt grateful for the life he had lived. “I’ve done lots of things I’ve wanted to do,” he said. “I’ve been happy. I’ve got a wife I love. I’ve got children I love. You understand that we all die. We all die. I just happen to know that mine’s coming.”
What’s Next?
Australian Story airs at 8pm on Mondays on the ABC and streams on ABC iview. For more TV updates, check out the latest news and recommendations.
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