Daughter pens scathing four-sentence obituary for late Marine mom who left her ‘living in fear’ & stands by each word

A DAUGHTER wrote a ruthless four-sentence obituary for her late abusive mother.

Christina Novak, the daughter of Florence Harrelson, wrote a short and not-so-sweet for her 65-year-old mother who died in February.

Facebook/Christina Novak

Facebook/Christina Novak

Facebook/Christina Novak

Novak wrote that the woman from Glenburn, Maine, died “without family by her side due to burnt bridges and a wake of destruction left in her path,” according to the Bangor Daily News .

Although Novak’s mother passed away in February, she only learned about the news in August.

“Florence did not want an obituary or anyone, including family, to know she died,” Novak wrote of her late mother.

“That’s because even in death, she wanted those she terrorized to still be living in fear, looking over their shoulders.

“So, this isn’t so much an obituary but more of a public service announcement.”

Novak described her mother as abusive and controlling, towards both herself and other family members.

The daughter said she was relieved, not angry, when writing the obituary.

Harrelson was in the Marines and a former guard at Maine State Prison when she died of heart failure earlier this year.

Novak had cut off contact with her mother over a decade ago and didn’t find out about her death until August 23.

She told the outlet she’d spent the past six months living in fear that her mother would reappear in her life.

When drafting the obituary, Novak intended to dedicate it more traditionally to her mother but kept deviating to a more sarcastic tone.

That’s when she decided to do a public service announcement instead of a memorial.

Novak claimed that when she ran her draft by different people in her family, the only correction she got was for a spelling error.

“When I wrote it. I wasn’t mad, I wasn’t angry,” she said.

“I was actually sitting with pen and paper and giggling to myself.”

Harralson had cancer but died from heart failure, her daughter told the New York Post .

Not everyone was a fan of Novak’s sarcastic comments.

Some people have called Novak out for her “inappropriate” behavior under the comments section of the website where the dedication is posted.

Florence Harrelson obituary

“Florence did not want an obituary or anyone, including family, to know she died. That’s because even in death, she wanted those she terrorized to still be living in fear, looking over their shoulders.  So, this isn’t so much an obituary but more of a public service announcement.”

“Am I the only one who believes this “obit” is inappropriate?” one user commented.

Another person rewrote the obituary so it was a little more traditional.

“I am not sure exactly what the true story is, but here is another version of the obituary: We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a beloved member of our community, Flo Harrelson.

“Known for her warm smile and kind heart, Flo was a pillar of strength and support for many in Maine.

“While details surrounding her death are still unclear, the outpouring of love and condolences from those who knew her best is a testament to the impact she had on so many lives.”

Despite the criticism Novak’s witty post garnered, some readers admired her honesty and related to her story.

“Absolutely legend, whoever posted this. As someone who had a godawful, abusive parent, I would have loved to see this kind of announcement in the paper after he finally kicked it,” one reader wrote.

Novak also posted the obit on Facebook and accompanied it with a line from The Wizard of Oz: “Ding dong, the witch is dead.”