Barbara Barrie’s daughter reveals how ‘nick of time’ decision allowed actress to end her life at home — just 3 weeks after terminal diagnosis

See more of our coverage in your search results. Barbara Barrie was able to end her life with medical assistance in the comfort of her Manhattan home thanks to a newly passed law that took effect just before her terminal cancer diagnosis. “She was so grateful that it had been instituted in New York State really in the nick of time,” Barrie’s daughter, Jane Harnick, exclusively told Page Six about the “Medical Aid in Dying Act.” Harnick, also an actress, shared that her mother was a “huge advocate” for medical aid in dying and always knew that was how she wanted to go. Barbara Barrie (seen above in 2002) was grateful that the “Medical Aid in Dying Act” went into effect just in time for her terminal illness diagnosis, her daughter, Jane Harnick, told Page Six. Joseph Marzullo/MediaPunch / Shutterstock “She was so grateful that it had been instituted in New York state really in the nick of time,” Harnick said of her mom (seen above in 1997). Stephen Danelian/NBC via Getty Images “For years and years, her whole life before she was ever sick with any illness, she always used to say, ‘When my time comes, I just want to take something and go to sleep,’” Harnick shared. “She just really believed that that was a human right.” Barrie was extremely grateful to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who signed the “Medical Aid in Dying Act” in January. The controversial law, which allows terminally ill adults to request life-ending medication from their doctors, went officially into effect in August. “She wanted it to be her path,” Harnick said, explaining that her mother had even considered traveling to Switzerland or Vermont, where medical aid in dying was legal, before it became an option in New York. Barrie (seen above) was a lifelong advocate for medical aid in dying. MediaPunch / BACKGRID The “Suddenly Susan” alum (seen above in 1999) ended her life with medical assistance on Wednesday. NBCUniversal via Getty Images Earlier this month, Barrie discovered that she had terminal cancer, and her health quickly began to decline. “We didn’t really know, but it just worked out that she went to the hospital three weeks ago. She was declared terminal, and they said, ‘You can do this now,'” Harnick shared. Barrie spent her final days doing the things she loved most — from reading the news to listening to her favorite radio station. She also planned her own memorial. “We were planning her death and her memorial at the same time and she was fine with it,” Harnick said. “She was weighing in on who should speak and what the music should be and she was really fine with that. She was ready to go. She knew 95 was old enough.” Barrie (seen above in 1964) had always planned on ending her life with medical assistance. Courtesy Everett Collection The late Hollywood star (seen above in 1974) passed away in her Manhattan home. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! “And then, at the very last day, she started to feel pain,” Jane continued. “And they were able to time it so that they could do it right then.” The “Suddenly Susan” actress died surrounded by her daughter, son Aaron Harnick, and son-in-law, Adam Freifeld, and was able to share a touching last goodbye. “As she was falling asleep, we all just said, ‘We love you.’ And she said, ‘I love you too.’ And those were her last words,” Jane said. Barrie also shared one final wish: for her family to carry on her advocacy for medical aid in dying. Barrie (seen here in 2013) was diagnosed with terminal cancer three weeks before her death. Getty Images “She had the most incredible life,” Harnick said of her mom (seen above in 1998). Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images “She was an advocate for a lot of things during her life, and to go out on this one is what she would have wanted,” Jane said. Barrie’s family confirmed that she had ended her life with medical assistance in her Manhattan home on Wednesday. She was 95. “She had the most incredible life, she did everything she wanted to do, she had the family she wanted,” Jane said. “It was 100 percent her decision, and we all supported it. She’s an advocate for that right.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. 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